Many West Virginia motorists get a bit nervous when they have to share the road with large commercial trucks. Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has identified driver fatigue and insufficient vehicle maintenance as contributors to many...
Month: October 2017
Night shift workers can be a danger on the road
Night shift workers in West Virginia may be more likely to cause drowsy driving-related accidents. Researchers have noted that people driving home after a night on the job could be suffering from sleep deprivation or other forms of sleep disturbance. Safety advocates...
Importance of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injuries
Some of the most serious injuries that West Virginians might suffer in accidents are traumatic brain injuries. While some TBIs may be minor, others are debilitating and cause lifelong disabilities necessitating round-the-clock care.Following an accident and a...
Minor health conditions may still put truck drivers at risk
In West Virginia and across the U.S., many truck drivers are endangering themselves and others because of certain medical conditions. While trucking companies may pull a driver after diagnosing a major condition, they are liable to ignore the interplay between...
Experts believe smartphones linked to more traffic deaths
West Virginia motorists might be surprised to hear that distracted driving deaths decreased in 2016 from the previous year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, safety advocates believe that distracting driving fatalities are...
Concussions and strokes
Concussions are a common occurrence, particularly in sports. However, people in West Virginia who have sustained at least one concussion should know that there may be long-term consequences from the injury. A concussion occurs when the brain is shifted inside of the...
Study finds molecule plays important role in brain injuries
West Virginia readers may be interested to learn that scientists have made a breakthrough in their understanding of the way an important molecule behaves during common brain injuries. The research was conducted in North Carolina.For the study, researchers set out to...
The odds of a fatal car crash increases with age of vehicle
The probability of a driver fatality resulting from an automobile accident can be 71 percent higher when the vehicle is 18 years old or older, according to a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration research study. This statistic may be startling but...
Over 1 million Americans injured on stairs every year
A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine has shown that over 1 million Americans are involved in stairway accidents each year, costing in the aggregate approximately $92 billion in medical bills and other direct and indirect expenses. Residents...
Proposed legislation may put sleep apnea rule back on track
Commercial drivers in West Virginia and elsewhere are currently not subject to mandatory sleep apnea screenings. However, bills in both the House and the Senate may require the FMCSA to keep trying to create one. Such a rule was under development throughout 2016, but...