HEALTH RISK

Motor vehicle crash is the sixth leading cause of death in Anchorage. It is the first leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24. In 1995 alone, twenty-three people died in motor vehicle crashes in Anchorage, 167 people were hospitalized with major injuries, and 2,282 with minor injuries. They are not nameless faces, but someone's brother, sister, parent, child, or loved one. More than half of these deaths involved an alcohol-related crash. In fact, 2 in every 5 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash at some time in their lives unless our behavior changes. In addition, Alaskans pay a heavy price for motor vehicle crashes. In 1994, motor vehicle crashes cost the state of Alaska $316 million dollars in medical, property loss, productivity, and other costs.

MAJOR CAUSES OF MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES

Linguistically, we tend to refer to motor vehicle crashes as "accidents." This is an unfortunate practice as it reinforces the thought that we are victims of happenstance. This could not be further from the truth. Most traffic crashes are caused by human error and can be prevented.

WHAT WE CAN DO

Things we all can do to prevent crashes and reduce injury are:

• Drive at Safe Speeds: Twenty-one percent of all Alaska traffic crashes are due to drivers driving at unsafe speeds.
• Pay Attention: Driver inattention is responsible for 16% of Alaska traffic crashes. Keep your mind on the road. Don't get distracted.
• Don't Drink & Drive: Protect your friends and loved ones. In 1995, 42% of Alaska's traffic crashes involved an intoxicated driver (0.10+ BAC) or nonoccupant (e.g., pedestrian).⁴ So, on evenings out take turns being the designated driver. And, if you hold a party, be sure to also serve non-alcoholic beverages and watch that groups leave with a designated driver.
• Wear Safety Belts: When used, lap/shoulder safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45%.⁵ Only 67% of Anchorage drivers always use safety belts when they drive.⁶ Nearly two-thirds of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes in 1995 were not wearing safety belts.⁷ In 1995 alone, 9,797 lives in the US were saved by safety belt use.⁸
• NEW! Use Child Restraints Properly: Proper use of Child restraints reduce the chance of fatal injury in motor-vehicle crashes by 69% for infants under one year of age and 47% for children between one and four years.⁹ NEW recommendations say to place children under 12 in child restraints in the back seat to protect them from the force of air bags and the impact of a collision.
• Wear a Helmet: Per vehicle mile, motorcyclists were 16 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than a passenger car occupant.¹⁰ In 1995, 43 percent of fatally injured motorcycle operators and 56 percent of fatally injured passengers were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.¹¹ The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that helmets saved the lives of 506 motorcyclists in 1995. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets, an additional 285 lives could have been saved.¹²
• CRIME CALL-Call *APD: People saving people. If you see a life-threatening situation call 911. But, if you see a non-life-threatening situation, such as a motorist in need of aid or a collision with no injuries and no threat of car explosion, call *APD to report it. Visit their web site on the Internet at http://www.muni.org/apd or call 273-8543 for information about guided tours and call-in training.