Colorado Springs Personal Injury Blog
Winter Snow and Ice Are a Major Source of Colorado Slip and Fall Injuries
Winter is coming, and in Colorado, this means snow and ice, both of which can easily cause slip and fall accidents that result in serious injuries.
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), about half of all slip and fall injuries are to the lower extremities – the legs, ankles, and feet. Sprains, strains, dislocated joints, and torn muscles or connective tissues are among the most common injuries suffered. Fractures are also common, as are injuries to the arms and hands.
During winter, slip and fall accidents can occur not only on icy or snowy sidewalks outdoors, but also on surfaces indoors. Snow that gets tracked in on people’s shoes and boots can easily melt, leaving puddles that pose slippery hazards to those in the area.
Six Signs You’re Too Tired to Drive
Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving, according to a study by the AAA Foundation. However, as many as 10 percent of drivers actually take the risk of drowsy driving at least once per week, and 33 percent have done so in the past month. This is despite the fact that 96 percent of drivers who answered a AAA Foundation survey about drowsy driving agreed that it’s dangerous to drive when you’re sleepy.
How do you know if you’re too drowsy to drive? Here are six signs it’s not safe to be behind the wheel, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:
How to Properly Use a Seat Belt While Pregnant
Every driver and passenger should wear a seat belt when riding in a vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including those who are pregnant. The NHTSA provides tips on how best to use your seat belt when you’re pregnant, including the following:
- Always wear your seat belt. Even if your car has air bags, wearing a seat belt is necessary to ensure the air bags do the job they’re designed to do in a crash. Wear the shoulder belt across your chest and away from your shoulders, and tuck the lap belt below your pregnant belly so that it sits snugly across your hips and pelvic bone.
- Move your seat. If you’re riding in the front seat while pregnant, move the seat as far back as possible. If you’re driving, put the seat as far back as you can while still reaching the pedals. Aim to keep at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel or dashboard.
- Don’t turn off your air bags. Air bags and seat belts are designed to work together to provide protection in a crash. Most doctors recommend that pregnant women do not turn off the air bags in their vehicles.
Holiday Safety Tips for Colorado Drivers
Many U.S. residents travel to see friends or family during the holidays, and most of them make their trip by car. All this extra traffic increases the risk of a car accident, resulting in more deaths and injuries on Colorado roads than usual. To protect yourself and your family from harm the holidays, consider the following safety tips:
- Don’t drive if you’ve been drinking alcohol or using other drugs. Even some prescription and over-the-counter medications can make you too sleepy or impaired to drive. Instead, plan ahead so that a sober and alert driver is behind the wheel, or find a different way home.
- Plan your trip well in advance. Leave extra time to get to your destination, and get plenty of rest beforehand so that fatigue doesn’t pose an additional challenge.
Understanding Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries
About 1.7 million U.S. residents suffer a traumatic brain injury each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Severe traumatic brain injuries are a contributing factor in over 30 percent of fatal accident injuries. Whether due to a car accident, workplace accident, slip and fall, or other incident, a traumatic brain injury can permanently change a person’s life – or even end it.
Severe traumatic brain injuries are generally sorted into one of two categories: closed and penetrating. Closed traumatic brain injuries cause movement of the brain inside the skull, which leads to injury. Concussions are a well-known type of closed traumatic brain injury. The second type of traumatic brain injury, penetrating injuries, are caused by an object penetrating the skull, such as a bullet or a fragment of metal or glass.
Protect Kids and Adults from Injury in Colorado Springs This Halloween
Kids and adults alike often love Halloween for the chance to dress up, attend parties, and collect candy from friends and neighbors. However, the dark weather, decorations, and costumes that are the staples of this holiday can all pose injury risks. You can help protect yourself and those you love from injury this Halloween by keeping in mind a few simple safety tips, courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
- Costumes: Make sure costumes and shoes fit well and don’t pose a tripping hazard. Decorating costumes and candy bags with reflective tape can also make trick-or-treaters easier for drivers to see in the dark, which may help prevent a pedestrian accident. To improve a trick-or-treater’s ability to see, give him or her a flashlight, and opt for make-up instead of a mask.
Officials Hope Westminster, Colorado Traffic Signal Reduces Accident Rates
A new traffic signal will soon be installed on 112th Street in Westminster in front of the entrances to Front Range Community College. Officials hope that the signal will reduce the number of accidents that take place in the vicinity of the community college each year.
Studies have shown that 17 traffic accidents have taken place in front of the community college in the past three years, a higher rate than average for the Westminster area. All of the accidents involved a driver attempting to turn onto 112th Street from the college’s driveway and getting hit by oncoming traffic. Most of the vehicles that were hit in the accidents were trying to turn left at the time, according to researchers.
Installing the traffic signal is a joint project involving the Westminster City Council, Front Range Community College, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The signal is being funded through a grant from the Department of Transportation and matching funds from the community college. Officials plan to begin installation in September 2013 and finish by November 2013.
Study Links Video Game Play to Reckless Driving Among Teens
Playing certain types of video games may increase the chances that a teen driver will take careless or reckless chances on the road, according to a recent study.
The study followed 5,000 U.S. teens over four years. The teens were interviewed each year, asking questions about their video game play and their driving habits. The first interview revealed that 50 percent of the teens regularly played “mature”-rated video games. One of the most popularly-played games was Grand Theft Auto III, in which reckless driving wins points.
Texting and Driving May Have Deadly Consequences
Sending or receiving text messages while driving a car may seem simple, but it is an activity that can have deadly consequences for you and for others on the road. A documentary produced by telecommunications giant AT&T showcases the dangers of texting and driving through the stories of four people whose lives were changed forever by a distracted driving accident.
On average, a text message distracts a driver’s attention from the road for just under five seconds, according to a 2009 University of Virginia study. At 55 miles per hour, a vehicle travels the length of a football field in five seconds – plenty of space for an accident to occur, especially when a driver is not watching the road carefully.
Natural Gas Well Explosion Kills and Injures Colorado Workers
One Colorado natural gas worker is dead and three more are injured after a natural gas well explosion in Platteville, Colorado, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
The fatal CO work accident involved a gas well operated by Encana Corporation, a Canadian energy firm. The workers had just finished drilling the horizontal well and were installing equipment to put the well into production, allowing workers to draw natural gas from it.
According to investigators, the injuries were caused by a sudden release of high pressure in the well, probably resulting from a faulty or defective piece of equipment installed at the scene. The company is investigating the accident to determine the details in the hopes of preventing similar accidents in the future No explosion or fire occurred.