The Southwest Public Health District is raising awareness about preventable injuries through motor vehicle safety
The Southwest Public Health District is raising awareness this month about preventable injuries from motor vehicles
ALBANY, GA -- Officials at the Public Health Department say motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens.
They also say more than 2.3 million adult drivers and passengers were treated in emergency rooms from motor vehicle crashes in 2009.
That’s why this month, their message is “Safety is No Accident: Live Injury-Free.”
Dr. Jacqueline Grant, Health Director with the Southwest Health District, says parents need to speak with their teens about drinking and driving as well as having too many passengers in the car. She also says texting and driving or talking on the phone while driving can sometimes be as dangerous as drinking and driving.
Grant says she is also constantly reminding people to wear seat belts.
“When a parent buckles up, 95 percent of the time their child buckles up. When a parent does not buckle up, only 30 percent of the time is the child in the car buckled up,” says Grant.
Grant also says that those riding motorcycles and children riding bikes need to wear helmets to prevent serious injuries.
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