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I don’t recall my first motor vehicle accident (MVA). It was on a desert road and I’m told I was about a year old as a rear-seat passenger. The driver of the vehicle fell asleep, with the car subsequently going off the road to meet a telephone pole. Luckily, the occupants were all right, and I haven’t had lasting effects (though those who know me might argue otherwise).
This was much before in-car tech such as land departure warning, automatic emergency braking, intelligent cruise control, pedestrian/object detection, and driver-distraction monitors. Those technologies have, according to both manufacturers and insurance companies, decreased collisions and therefore improved our safety.
But regular readers of this column also know of my bent towards driving- the kind that comes from interaction with our machines. How does this interaction fare in the age of electronic nannies?
The truth is we drive a lot, on congested roads, accompanied by as many new distractions as there are social media apps. More than 2 million people are injured every year in the US due to car crashes- of which 35,000 are killed. That’s about the population of Newark, Delaware, vanishing every year.
I contend that most of these crashes are preventable, and the CDC agrees, calling this a ‘winnable battle.’ Per mile driven, road traffic injuries have reduced since 2005- however, the deaths are at their highest number in the last 10 years.
To consider the causes of such accidents, ponder this: every day, we willingly enter an environment where we, with near-surgical precision, have to pilot 4,000-pound machines with a minimal margin of error. Striking another human at virtually any speed is going to result in death or injury. Hitting another object is going to result in expense, repairs and inconvenience. And the opportunities to do so are rampant. We literally cannot touch anything else (save the road) with this large, bulky transport module. It’s like the world’s highest-stakes game of “Operation.” And all of us are going to get the ‘bzzt’ sound sometime: it is a near-certainty that in a driving lifetime, we will be in a car crash; the odds of dying in a car crash, while lower, are still around
1 in 100. Whether as drivers, road users, or parents, that should be deeply concerning.
There are common-sense ways we can prevent such events from occurring- some are on us, some are on the car, some are on the environment and regulation. Never consuming alcohol or other impairing substances when there is a possibility of driving. 100% use of all seatbelts in a car. Making sure the car is roadworthy (check that tire pressure, adjust those mirrors!). Never using phones or similar devices – for any reason- when the car is in motion and needing our attention. These are all within our control.
Even now, we can start choosing vehicles with a suite of safety features built to protect us. We don’t have to wait for regulations to mandate them (as they did for rearview cameras and seatbelts). We can start demanding them immediately. While driver education is essential, the basic/mandated requirement in the US is likely inadequate for the growing demands on our busy driving lives. As a car enthusiast, I recommend performance driving schools which teach better car control, and how to drive effectively (even fast, in a controlled track environment). Most everyone I know who has undergone such training actually drives
slower on public roads- since they know the consequences of recklessness, excessive speed, and other inattentive drivers.
It is possible to buy cars today which have enough cameras, sensors and GPS connections to essentially drive themselves, maintain a certain speed, change lanes, speed up, and brake. After I recently drove such a car, I was torn: part of me felt it was an appliance (“world’s fastest fridge”, I said to the sales guy), and part of me realized that what I need for my daily commute is to get from point A to B safely and quickly. Sometimes, with a hands-free phone call; sometimes with a GPS running; sometimes, with text messages flashing on the car’s CarPlay screen- all of which are distractors on a typical automobile requiring our undivided attention.
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I was recently in another car crash- see photo. I’m fine (again, those who know me may argue otherwise). But I’m committed to making it my last one, and doing what it takes to achieve that: improving the factors I have control over, and advocating for those which are part of our environmental or regulatory structure.
Where does this leave the joy of driving? I guess the bottom line is, I need to be alive to do it. And since the above incident, I’ve actually enjoyed driving more. With a zero-distraction policy, a car with appropriate tech (and still a stick shift!), I can commute better and save the fully-manual, tech-free driving for weekend stints when I’m focused on nothing else.
I look forward to seeing you out there, and to hearing about your thoughts and experiences.
Drive on!
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Delaware Journal of Public Health
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This issue of the DJPH was the most read and shared issue since we started publishing, with articles on:
- Culturally-Responsive Cre for LGBTQ+ Patients
- Delaware Hospitals and the Healthcare Equality Index
- Telehealth Interventions Addressing Population Health Disparities of LGBTQ+ Communities in Health Care Settings
- Suicide Prevention in Gender Expansive Youth
- A call for Improved Data Collection to Improve Health Care and Reduce Disparities
- Building Resilience and Reducing Risk
- The Religious Landscape for LGBTQ+ Patients
We are so happy that the people of Delaware enjoyed this issue, that the LGBTQ+ community came together to help pen the issue, and that we were able to engage in important dialogue for this community.
Be on the look out for our next issue, Disaster Preparedness and Response!
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The DHSA was established in 2009 by founders Christiana Care Health System, Thomas Jefferson University, Nemours/AI duPont Hospital for Children, and the University of Delaware, to enable partner organizations to collaborate and conduct cutting-edge biomedical research, to improve the health of Delawareans through access to services, and to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The Academy/DPHA recently joined the DHSA as its first affiliate member. Since then, Delaware State University (?) has also joined the DHSA. The Academy/DPHA provides back office support and outward facing collaboration with the DHSA.
Check out the DHSA webpage
here
!
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The 2019 John Scholz Stroke Education Conference will be on October 3, 2019. Co-sponsored by the Delaware Stroke Initiative, the conference will include presentations on anticoagulation therapy, physical therapy, nurses' role in acute stroke therapy, post-acute stroke care, driverless cars, and speech therapy.
Four hours of continuing medical education will be provided for occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech/language pathologists.
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The 2019 Communicable Diseases Health Summit will be on Monday, December 9, 2019. The conference will include presentations on one health, new and re-emerging threats, vaccine hesitancy, hospital acquired infections, infection prevention, and infectious disease threats due to the opioid epidemic.
The Medical Society of Delaware designates this live activity for a maximum of 6
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
.
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As Delaware's Affiliate to the American Public Health Association, we are pleased to announce that registration and housing are now open for APHA's 2019 Annual Meeting and Expo! Join us November 2 - 6 in Philadelphia!
"Creating the Healthiest Nation: For Science. For Action. For Health."
APHA's Annual Meeting and Expo is the largest and most influential annual gathering of public health professionals. Nearly 13,000 attendees will descend on Philadelphia to present, learn, and find inspiration. Let's make sure Delaware is well represented!
Delaware Reception
We are in the process of planning a reception for our Delaware colleagues! Stay tuned for additional details!
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Eric Johnson, M.D., is a 1990 graduate of the College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University. He followed these studies with residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and a fellowship in Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at Cooper Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Johnson holds professional licensure in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is a 1990 diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners, and a 1999 and 2008 diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
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Ten Threats to Global Health in 2019
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The world is facing multiple health challenges. These range from outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria, increasing reports of drug-resistant pathogens, growing rates of obesity and physical inactivity to the health impacts of environmental pollution and climate change and multiple humanitarian crises.
- World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) has a new 5-year strategic plan - the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan has a "triple billion target:" ensuring 1 billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies, and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well being.
But what are the top 10 threats to that goal?
- Air pollution and climate change
- Noncommunicable diseases
- Global influenza panedmic
- Fragile and vulnerable settings
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Ebola and other high threat pathogens
- Weak primary health care
- Vaccine hesitancy
- Dengue
- HIV
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Children's Eye Health & Safety Month
National Breastfeeding Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
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Trust for America's Health: Wellness and Prevention Digest -
Subscribe
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The Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
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Academy of Medicine
2018 - 2020 Board of Directors
President:
Omar A. Khan, MD, MHS
Vice President:
S. John Swanson, MD
Secretary:
Sandra P. Medinilla, MD, MPH
Treasurer:
David M. Bercaw, MD
Immediate Past President:
Daniel J. Meara, MD, DMD
Executive Director:
Timothy E. Gibbs, MPH, NPMc
Directors
Stephen C. Eppes, MD
Eric T. Johnson, MD
Joseph F. Kestner, Jr, MD
Rita Landgraf
Brian W. Little, MD, PhD
Arun V. Malhotra, MD
Joseph A. Napoli, MD, DDS
John P. Piper, MD
Albert A. Rizzo, MD
Emeritus
Robert B. Flinn, MD
Barry S. Kayne, DDS
Leslie W. Whitney, MD
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DPHA
Advisory Council
President:
Omar Khan, MD, MPH
Executive Director
: Timothy E. Gibbs, MPH, NPMc
Members
Louis E. Bartoshesky, MD, MPH
Gerard Gallucci, MD, MSH
Richard E. Killingsworth, MPH
Erin K. Knight, PhD, MPH
Melissa K. Melby, PhD
Mia A. Papas, PhD
Karyl T. Rattay, MD, MS
Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH
William Swiatek, MA, AICP
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The Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
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