Are you the distracted driver?

WHAT IS DISTRACTED DRIVING?
Credit article Distraction.gov


 Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:
Texting Using a cell phone or smartphone
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Grooming
Reading, including maps
Using a navigation system
Watching a video
Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction. The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans about the danger it poses.
On this page, you'll find facts and statistics that are powerfully persuasive. If you don't already think distracted driving is a safety problem, please take a moment to learn more. And, as with everything on Distraction.gov, please share these facts with others. Together, we can help save lives. Got questions? Ask!

Key Facts and Statistics

• In 2010, 3092 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.
• 18% of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
• In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009. (CTIA)
• 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.(Monash University)
• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)

• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the 
• equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (VTTI)
• Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

The best way to help fight distracted driving is to get educated, and this page is a great place to start. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions that will help you better understand the safety threat posed by texting and cell phone use on America's roadways.

Is distracted driving really a problem?
Distracted driving kills. The friends, family, and neighbors of the thousands of people killed each year in distracted driving crashes will tell you it is a very serious safety problem. The nearly half a million people injured each year will agree.




What is distracted driving?
Distraction occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your mind off your primary task: driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.
If it's so dangerous, why do people do it?
Some people still don't know how dangerous distracted driving is. Others know about the risks of texting and talking while driving, but still choose to do so anyway. They make the mistake of thinking the statistics don't apply to them, that they can defy the odds. Still others simply lead busy, stressful lives and use cell phones and smartphones to stay connected with their families, friends, and workplaces. They forget or choose not to shut these devices off when they get behind the wheel.
Who are the most serious offenders?
Our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk, with 16% of all distracted driving crashes involving drivers under 20. But they are not alone. At any given moment during daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.


Sending or reading one text is pretty quick, unlike a phone conversation - wouldn't that be okay?
Texting is the most alarming distraction because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded. It's extraordinarily dangerous.
Is it safe to use a hands-free device to talk on a cell phone while driving?
So far, the research indicates that the cognitive distraction of having a hands-free phone conversation causes drivers to miss the important visual and audio cues that would ordinarily help you avoid a crash.
Why doesn't the U.S. Department of Transportation make distracted driving illegal?
Passenger car driving behavior falls under the jurisdiction of the individual states, so the U.S. DOT can't ban it. Congress has considered a number of good laws to prevent distracted driving, but unfortunately nothing has passed yet. However, many states have stepped up to pass tough laws against texting, talking on a cell phone, and other distractions. You can visit our State Laws page to learn about the laws in your state.
What else can DOT do to prevent distracted driving?
Even though we can't make texting or talking on a cell phone while driving illegal, we have been pretty busy. Please visit our DOT Action page to learn more.
What can I do to help?
We're glad you asked! You've already taken the first step by visiting this site and learning about the dangers of distracted driving. The next thing you'll want to do is protect yourself.Take the pledge to drive phone-free and turn your cell phone off when you turn your ignition on. And if you're a passenger, make sure your driver does the same. If you want to do more, please take a look at our Get Involvedsection - we've got plenty of ideas to get you started.

October is National Bullying Awareness Month!

Lets make 2012 the year that we all woke up from our slumber and got on the ball about this bullying issue!
What on earth do people think they are doing, adults, teens and children are all being bullied by people who in my honest opinion (from the movie The Water Boy)  need a "can of whoop ass" opened up on them! It makes me so mad to see people treated in such a manner.
Educate yourself and know the signs, know how to respond and how to help those who are bullied. If you are the victim, know that you need help and not to suffer in silence! You are a wonderful, worthy and  a much better person than your bully! God does not make junk!

Today, 160,000 kids stayed home from school. Not because they were sick or forgot to do their homework, but because they were afraid of being harassed by a bully. One in every four kids get bullied, which adds up to 13 million kids a year.

October 1st marks the beginning of Bullying Prevention Awareness Month .  Each year millions of children and youth experience the humiliation and devastating effects of bullying.  Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims. It also hurts the children who bully, as well as those who watch it happen. In fact, bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness, and disrespect for everyone involved.  SAMHSA is committed to reducing the impact of bullying and we will take this month to share information about bullying and its impact, and how everyone can and should play a part in taking action against bullying. (Credit to the SAMSHA blog for some of the info provided here)

Bullying 101 :

Bullying begins in the preschool years, peaks in early adolescence, and continues, but with less frequency, into the high school years. But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

Bullying is a form of emotional or physical abuse that has three defining characteristics:

1. Deliberate – the child that bullies’ intention is to hurt someone
2. Repeated—the child that bullies often targets the same victim again and again
3. Power Imbalanced—the child that bullies chooses victims he or she perceives as vulnerable

Bullying occurs in many different forms, with varying levels of severity. It may involve:

• Physical Bullying—poking, pushing, hitting, kicking, beating up
• Verbal Bullying—yelling, teasing, name-calling, insulting, threatening to harm
• Relational Bullying—ignoring, excluding, spreading rumors, telling lies, getting others to hurt someone

Know the Warning Signs 

A culture of silence often surrounds bullying. Many children who are bullied never tell anyone. 

Most bullying is not reported because children . . .

• Don’t recognize it as bullying
• Are embarrassed
• Don’t want to appear weak
• Believe they deserve it
• Want to belong
• Fear retaliation
• Don’t know how to talk about it
• Don’t have a trusted adult to confide in
• Think adults won’t understand
• Think nothing can be done about it

Just because you don't see it, and children don't talk about it, doesn't mean bullying isn't happening. Even when children fail to report bullying, they often show warning signs.

What are some warning signs of bullying?

• Unexplained damage or loss of clothing and other personal items
• Evidence of physical abuse, such as bruises and scratches
• Loss of friends; changes in friends
• Reluctance to participate in activities with peers
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, lonely, or depressed
• Problems with eating, sleeping, bed-wetting
• Headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints
• Decline in school achievement
• Thoughts of suicide

Some children may withdraw, while others may get angry and seek revenge. Don’t assume the problem will go away on its own: Invite children to talk about what is bothering them. If you find out a child is being bullied, show support, help develop a response strategy, and follow up to make sure the bullying does not continue.

What You Can Do 

Recommendations and Strategies for Adults

If you don't intervene, bullies, victims, and bystanders will continue to believe in the power of bullying, rather than the power of prevention. They will continue to let bullying happen. So, why don't adults intervene more often? Sometimes, it’s because we don't see it happen; we’re not sure what to look for. But often, it’s because we don't know what to do or we're afraid that our actions will somehow make matters worse

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe.

Do:

• Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.
• Separate the kids involved.
• Make sure everyone is safe.
• Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
• Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
• Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.
• Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.
• Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.
• Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.
• Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.
• Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Get police help or medical attention immediately if:

• A weapon is involved.
• There are threats of serious physical injury.
• There are threats of hate-motivated violence, such as racism or homophobia.
• There is serious bodily harm.
• There is sexual abuse.
• Anyone is accused of an illegal act, such as robbery or extortion—using force to get money, property, or services.

What ever you do, Do something! don't just stand by in silence!!

How AWARxE are you? Are you a Hoarder?

Yes at times I can confess that as a nurse, I am a hoarder of medicines, are you?

Just how informed are you as a parent or a healthcare provider? How many extra bottles of medications do you have left over in your medicine cabinet?

Do you take them when you want to? Do you share them with others, family, friends or co-workers? Have you even thought about the dangers and damages that could ensue by keeping these meds just because you "think you might need them later". 

I will have to say that I am just as guilty of saving medication bottles for those "just in case times" and yes I do have 3 children in my household. Here are some things for us "Hoarders" to think long and hard about.

This week over at The Mommies Network blog, we have been focusing on just those dangers and other very helpful topics that all parents need to know. 

Here is part of that information and an interview with  Dr. Carmen Catizone - to read the entire 4 part interview visit The Mommies Network blog here.

We all know how easy it is to forget about a prescription that was never finished and now sits in the back of the medicine cabinet. Proper drug disposal protects your loved ones from misuse. Prescription drugs, often found at home, are the most commonly abused drugs among 12 and 13 year olds. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation and their AWARxE Consumer Protection Program are helping to stop this growing trend.
April 28 is the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Anyone with unused medications can drop them off at designated collection sites on April 28. The DEA coordinates with local law enforcement and community partners to provide thousands of sites across the country so that unwanted drugs are disposed of safely and legally. Sites will accept both prescription and nonprescription pills for disposal.
The Mommies Network recently spoke with Executive Director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Dr. Carmen Catizone, about the dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse. Dr. Catizone is the Executive Director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and a licensed pharmacist. He currently serves as a Governor of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Board of Directors and Chair of the PTCB Certification Council. Dr. Catizone is regularly called to serve as an expert witness for the US Government in the areas of pharmacy practice and regulation on both the state and national level issues.

TMN: Why can't I just flush or throw away expired prescriptions?
Dr. Catizone: Flushing certain medications or improper disposal in the garbage can lead to safety and environmental hazards. Proper disposal of unneeded medications helps prevent accidental ingestion by people and pets in the home, and also helps protect the environment by keeping drugs out of the local water system and the local environment. When drugs are brought to an authorized DEA collection site, or other legal disposal program, they are processed for safe destruction.
FDA does recommend that certain drugs are flushed to prevent danger to people and pets in the home. FDA has determined that the risks of accidental ingestion of these select medications, outweighs the small risk to the environment. A link to the list of drugs that should be flushed for disposal, as well as additional information, is available on the Medication Disposal page of the AWARxE Web site.
TMN: I already handle medicines responsibly. Why should I care about this event?
Dr. Catizone: While you and your family handle medications responsibly, remember that sometimes prescription drugs are taken out of medicine cabinets by visitors to the home, such as a teen’s guests, guests at a party, or hired workers completing a home repair.
Another concern is accidental ingestion of medications by children. The number of emergency department visits due to medication poisoning for children under age five increased 30% from 2001 to 2008, and child self-exposure to prescription products accounted for 55% of the emergency room visits, according to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics.
By securely storing the medications you need, and disposing of unneeded medications, you can prevent these drugs from falling into the wrong hands. And, by sharing this information with others, you can help to protect their loved ones, your friends, and your community by helping to prevent prescription drug abuse.


Discover More:
· CDC Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work · Safe Medication Disposal ·AWARxE: Get Local · FDA Drug Disposal Information · NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin - Prescription Drugs ·The Road to Nowhere: Prescription Drug Abuse educational slideshow · Video: The Road to Nowhere · FDA Video: Teaching Kids About Using Medicine Safely

Don't Be a Pill Hoarder!!

Your stash may just be the next Pill party for teens that might have access to them.

Don't just toss them in the trash either, somebody will dig them out of the trash!

Don't put down the sink or toilet, harmful chemicals will seep into our water, among

other things, this is just environmentally wrong!