June is #NationalSafetyMonth, and this week's theme is #RoadwaySafety. Being attentive when you're behind the wheel is important for your safety, as well as the safety of passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.
Did you know that data on traffic fatalities and injuries often does not account for people with disabilities and their needs? When implementing safety improvements, it's important to collect relevant data to understand how to best serve the community, but there are no public agencies that specifically track fatalities and injuries involving disabled pedestrians, and police aren't required to note a disability on an accident report. This can be detrimental for people with disabilities as engineers and city planners can't efficiently decide which safety improvements to employ to the benefit of everyone.
According to a 2015 study from Georgetown University, 528 pedestrian wheelchair-users were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. from 2006 to 2012, making their risk of dying in a pedestrian-car accident about 36 percent higher than non-wheelchair users.
So, how can we avoid more collisions, especially those involving pedestrians with mobility impairments? As driver's we can ensure we're paying attention to our surroundings, staying off of our phones, and driving sober. As community members, we can do what's in our power to keep sidewalks clear of obstacles so wheelchair-users are still able to safely pass by.
Read more about Georgetown University's study at https://lnkd.in/eUbmCuqx
#RoadSafety #NSM #Accessibility
Retired but…Chair, Opto Health. Advisory roles in digital healthcare, emergency care & innovating to improve. Charity Trustee. Parkrunner. Was EM physician, medical director & Professor @warwickmed | Ex govt EM tsar.
4wGreat advice. Guiding adds an extra element to my parkruns. It is a definite win win I help someone enjoy parkrun and be able to run They have improved my running and given me an even greater enjoyment of parkrunning.