National Safety Month is promoted by the National Safety Council every June to in an effort to reduce leading causes of preventable injury and death. The themes for 2019 include Slips Trips and Falls, Fatigue, and Impairment.
Slips Trips and Falls.
Falls are the third leading cause of unintentional deaths over all age groups, and the number one cause for those 65 and older. Millions of Americans are treated in emergency rooms every year because of falls. Most falls are preventable.
Fatigue.
A person deprived of just two hours sleep may be as impaired as someone who has consumed three beers. [1] An estimated 21% of fatal car crashes—6,400 deaths per year—are attributable to drowsy driving. [2]
Impairment.
Every day 29 people in the US die in alcohol related crashes—one every 50 minutes. In 2016 over 10,00 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for more than 28% of traffic-related deaths. Other drugs are involved in about 16% of crashes every year. [3]
Learn more about how you can increase safety at the NSC website.
[1] Roehrs, T., Burduvali, E., Bonahoom, A., Drake, C., & Roth, T. (2003). Ethanol and Sleep Loss: A “dose” comparison of impairing effects. Sleep, 26(8), 981-985.
[2] Tefft, Brian C. (2014). Prevalence of Motor Vehicle Crashes Involving Drowsy Drivers, United States, 2009-2013. Washington, D.C.: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
[3] CDC. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 1993–2014. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/brfss