Spare yourself the trauma with Brenna Benjamin.

Brenna Benjamin handles Trauma Program Injury Prevention and Outreach for Emergency Services at NorthBay Healthcare. Her blog focuses on preventive safety measures and true trauma encounters.

You can e-mail her at: BBenjamin@NorthBay.org

Brenna started writing for this blog September of 2017.

May is National Trauma Awareness Month

May 05, 2015
 

The month of May is National Trauma Awareness month, and this year's campaign will focus on focused on 3D Trauma Prevention.

The 3Ds for Trauma are: "Drugs/Drinking, Distraction and Drowsiness," the three main reasons for vehicle collisions.

In 2013 there were 2.3 million injuries and more than 32,000 fatalities from motor vehicle collisions. Of those, 31 percent of the drivers were alcohol-impaired and 18 percent were distracted. Additionally, it is estimated that each year 100,000 crashes were the direct result of driver fatigue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, every two minutes a person is injured in a drinking and driving collision and every day almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol- impaired driver.

Similarly, each day in the United States, more than nine people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. Lastly, an estimated 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries were the result of a drowsy driver. So what can you do to reduce your risk of becoming one of the 2.3 million that are injured by motor vehicle collisions?

  • Raise awareness that drinking and drugs don't mix, especially with driving. Promote that using a designated driver or calling a taxi is much safer than drinking and driving.
  • Reduce your driving distractions. Updating social media, replying to emails and text messages can wait till after you arrive at your destination.
  • Did you know there are three types of distractions? Visual, manual and cognitive. Visual means taking your eyes off the road, such as using a cellphone or having conversations with passengers. Manual means taking your hands off the wheel, such as eating or applying makeup. Cognitive is taking your mind off driving , such as driving while upset, or having an intense conversation.
  • Get the sleep you need! Sleep experts recommend a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night. Are you getting the rest you need? In order to drive safely you need to be alert, getting the right amount of sleep is necessary.
  • Don't drive while you are sleepy; get plenty of rest the night before a long trip. It's best to travel with passengers to monitor you for signs of fatigue.
  • Spread trauma awareness and influence others to become more aware of everyday activities that may contribute to motor vehicle collisions.

Tags: trauma, awareness, vehicle collisons, drowsiness, drinking, distracted driving, DUI

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