Posted on January 09, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Farm accidents are still prevalent on American farms despite safety initiatives and precautions to prevent accidents. Tractor accidents are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities for farm workers, according to the National Safety Council.

Why are tractor accidents so common? Many workers are not aware of the hazards when using a tractor and not all farm companies make sure their workers are trained on proper safety practices and precautions to take while working on a tractor.

Farming accidents are all too common and incidents involving tractors are still the biggest hazard for farm workers who use tractors on a daily basis. Anyone who uses a tractor while working on a farm is at risk to be injured by one of the most common dangers posed by tractors.

Workers and employers should be aware of the four most common types of tractor accidents listed below and what safety precautions to take to prevent serious injuries:

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 Posted on January 04, 2013 in Car Accidents

A new study has found a scary statistics: one in 24 adults in the U.S. admitted that they have fallen asleep while driving. Health officials believe that this number could actually be higher because many drivers may nod off for only a few seconds while driving and not know that they did.

According to the study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four percent of adults said they had fallen asleep or nodded off while driving at least once during the past month. The study was done in 19 states during 2009 and 2010.

The study found that drowsy driving or falling asleep while driving was more common among males, drivers between 25 and 34 and individuals who got less than six hours of sleep on an average night. The study also found that more drivers in Texas admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Roughly three percent of fatal car accidents are attributed to drowsy driving, according to government reports. However, other studies have claimed that up to 33 percent of fatal accidents could be a result of drowsy or sleeping drivers.

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 Posted on December 27, 2012 in Car Accidents

Last year, an estimated 35,000 people were killed in car accidents in the U.S. Despite safety features and regulations for auto manufacturers, fatal car accidents still continue at an unusually high rate. A study by the co-founder of the Center for Injury Research is trying to figure out why vehicle safety features are not reducing fatal car accidents.

The study found that many car accident fatalities occur because of current auto safety tests using a crash test dummy that does not accurately represent a majority of American drivers. The study found that if vehicles used different sized crash test dummies, auto manufacturers would know what safety features and improvements to make to decrease fatalities caused by car accidents.

Crash test dummies were based off volunteer Navy soldiers roughly 45 years ago, according to the study. The volunteer sailors were supposed to hold their head and neck as stiff as they could to resist movement during a crash. Airbags and other safety features in vehicles were modeled after these test results.

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 Posted on December 19, 2012 in Car Accidents

Male pedestrians better watch out when crossing the street. A new study found that male pedestrians who are hit by vehicles are twice as likely to die compared to female pedestrians in the U.S.

In the U.S., roughly 12 percent of victims of traffic fatalities are pedestrians, according to a new study by the West Virginia University School of Public Health and Injury Control Research Center. The researchers sought to find answers as to why men are twice at risk to die after a pedestrian accident.

Unfortunately, the findings of the study did not pinpoint any surprising or significant factors that were not already found by previous studies.

The study found that male and females in the U.S. usually walked the same average distance every day. Recent police crash reports cited that males had a higher risk of being hit by a vehicle while walking, but the report did not cite reasons why.

After researchers gathered reports and data on pedestrian accidents throughout the country, statistics showed that male pedestrians are 2.3 times as likely to die after being involved in a vehicle-pedestrian accident. Researchers were not able explain specific reasons but they did explain a few common rationalities for the increased risk.

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 Posted on December 17, 2012 in Articles

Crossing central Illinois, Interstate 55 connects the Chicago metro with St. Louis. Over the holiday season, the corridor sees an increase in truck and passenger vehicle traffic. A recent tragedy near Litchfield provides a reminder to take care over the next few weeks as more people hit the roads to be with family.

The accident occurred on November 26, while an Illinois State Police trooper was completing a routine traffic stop. A passing semi tractor-trailer struck the trooper as he stood along the side of the road. The trooper died at the scene of the accident. The section of highway was closed off for much of the day, so that law enforcement could investigate what happened.

This is the same area of the Interstate where several other accidents have occurred this year. In May, a school bus rear-ended a stopped truck injuring many students. Also, a Megabus blew a tire and hit a bridge, which killed one passenger and injured others.

As the investigation uncovers the cause of the most recent accident, criminal charges could be filed against the driver of the semi truck. Even if the driver did not violate any laws, he could have been negligent in failing to change lanes.

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 Posted on December 12, 2012 in Car Accidents

Distracted driving is one most common causes of car accidents in the U.S. The increased use of technology and Americans constantly having their cellphones nearby has only made distracted driving more dangerous.

A new study by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers researched just how much cellphones are used in everyday life. The findings were not all that surprising but the impact it has on distracted driving has caused reason for concern.

The study found that 70 percent of Americans have their cellphone within reach at all times, including when they are sleeping. Sixty-one percent of Americans check their cellphones every hour. The scariest finding: 90 percent of American drivers keep their cellphone in their hand, lap, cup holder or passenger seat while they drive.

With cellphones being so widely used by drivers, what exactly are drives using their cellphones for? The study found that 33 percent of drivers use their cellphone to search the web, 30 percent are sending or receiving text messages and 67 percent are using GPS or navigation programs on their phone while they drive.

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 Posted on December 07, 2012 in Firm News

Older farmers have a higher risk of being injured, especially if they spend a lot of time operating heavy machinery, according to a new study by the University of Alberta.

The study found that farm workers ages 45 to 64 spent six or eight more days per year operating tractors and other farming machinery compared to farmers 20 years younger than them. The study says that this behavior puts older farm workers at a higher risk of being in a farm accident.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that 551 workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry suffered fatal work injuries in 2009. Of those deaths, 278 occurred in crop production.

The CDC found that farm tractors are the most dangerous for older farm workers. Farm tractor accidents accounted for 2, 156 fatal occupational injuries during 1992 to 2001. They were also the leading cause of death in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry, according to the CDC. The CDC report also found that during 1992 to 1997, farm machinery accidents resulted in 1,021 fatal injuries.

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 Posted on November 28, 2012 in Car Accidents

The number of car collisions with deer declined in 2011, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The DOT announcement was good news since as the number of fatal crashes, injuries and motorists killed by car accidents involving deer has decreased.

Fatal car accidents involving deer resulted in six fatalities in Illinois during 2011. This was a decrease from the 10 reported fatalities in 2010. The number of injuries caused by deer-car collisions also declined from 634 in 2010 to 613 in 2011.

While the number of fatal car accidents involving deer has declined, the state DOT is still reminding motorists to pay attention while driving and be on the lookout for deer along the road, especially in more rural areas of the state.

The fall and winter months are the most common time for deer-car collisions to occur in Illinois. The DOT reminded drivers to slow down, drive defensively, obey speed limits and be alert for wildlife when driving at night. The DOT said that while the decrease in fatal deer-car collisions is a step in the right direction, more awareness and safety precautions need to be made.

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 Posted on November 19, 2012 in Car Accidents

Last week we discussed the dangers of drowsy driving and that teenagers are more likely to be involved in a drowsy driving accident. It is clear that drowsy driving has become a significant safety issue throughout the country but how many people can actually spot the signs of drowsy driving?

Drowsy driving can be caused by several factors and affect all different types of drivers. Roughly 60 percent of Americans have driven while feeling sleepy, according to the National Sleep Foundation. What's worse is that 37 percent of drivers have admitted to actually falling asleep behind the wheel during the last year.

Many people don't know the warning signs of drowsy driving. Drivers involved in drowsy driving accidents often were not aware that they were that tired or that they were falling asleep behind the wheel.

To fully understand the danger of drowsy driving, it is vital to know the warning signs. Here are several signs of drowsy driving that all drivers should be aware of:

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 Posted on November 16, 2012 in Car Accidents

The dangers of drowsy driving have not been covered as often by the media despite the fatal risks they pose to all drivers. The AAA foundation has named drowsy driving as the number one unrecognized traffic-safety issue in the U.S.

While drowsy driving is known to be dangerous, a new report emphasizes just how risky it is and how often it happens. Drivers age 16 to 24 are more likely to drive drowsy compared to any other age group, according to a new survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The survey found that one in seven drivers in this age group admitted to nodding off while they were driving at least once during the past year.

The AAA said that younger drivers have the highest risk of driving drowsy because they underestimate the risks. They also overestimate their driving experience and ability to deal with drowsy driving issues.

Despite drowsy driving not being discussed as often as distracted driving, it appears to be just as dangerous. Statistics by the AAA show that drowsy driving contributes to one in six fatal car accidents in the U.S. Drowsy driving also contributes to one in eight car accidents that require hospitalization.

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