In the News--"The Driving Habit You need to Break"

Have you ever arrived at your destination and realized you weren’t paying attention while driving there?  You make the trip on ‘auto-pilot’.  We’ve all probably done it, but it’s scary to consider how distracted our thoughts were. 

Daydreaming while we drive is dangerous.  A study from the University of Bordeaux in France found that 52% of drivers injured in car accidents reported they were daydreaming while driving. 

The Prevention.com staff offers these suggestions for how to keep our focus while driving.

1.       Recognize that driving involves risks.  Paying attention while driving helps keep us safe.

2.      Add color to our rear-view mirror or dashboard (colored string, dashboard sticker) to remind you not to daydream.

3.      Keep your interest on the road.  Notice what other drivers are doing.  Is the guy in the red pickup veering into your lane? 

4.      Tell your passengers (if you have passengers) to speak up if they see something dangerous happening. 

Thanks to the Prevention.com staff for a great reminder.  You can find more information at

http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/daydreaming-and-driving-can-cause-accidents

Distractions can be dangerous to drivers

Do you see people talking on their cell phones while driving?  Of course you do.  As I mentioned last time, 69% of American drivers said they have talked on their phone in the last month.  31% of American drivers (especially younger drivers) have texted while driving in the last month.

 According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), three types of distractions cause problems for drivers:  visual, manual and cognitive.  Visual distractions mean we take out eyes off the road and traffic.  Manual distractions mean we take our hands off the steering wheel.  Cognitive distraction means our thoughts (mind) aren’t focused on driving.

Behaviors that distract drivers include talking on a cell phone and texting while driving.  What other behaviors does CDC staff warn against?  Both eating while driving and dealing with GPS navigation devices can also cause drivers to be distracted. 

Parents, please teach your children to drive safely.  Texting while driving involves all three types of distractions and can be very dangerous.  More information can be found at  

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsDistractedDriving/

In the News--Cell phone use while driving

According to a study the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 69% of U.S. drivers admitted that they talked on their cell phone in the last 30 days (compared to 21 % of United Kingdom drivers).  31% of American drivers had read or sent text messages within the last month.  This compared to 15% of drivers in Spain.

This study found that both men and women use their cell phones while driving.  People aged 25-44 talked on their phones more than older people (ages 55-64) while 18-34 year olds used the text and email functions on their cell phones more than older people (ages 45-64).  Could our comfort with technology influence why we do these things?  My parents certainly never embraced a cell phone like I have so they never considered talking on a phone while driving.  Texting isn’t a concern for me either.   I do have to remind myself to make “I’m coming home” calls before I put my car into motion. 

The CDC staff urges caution and reminds us that cell phone usage can be a “fatal distraction.”  A word to the wise…   More information on this topic can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0314_driving_mobile_device_use.html  more information next time about distractions while driving.

Smartphone medical app

Last week while at my yearly physical checkup, my doctor asked when I last had a tetanus shot.  “Ummm, I’ve had one but I don’t remember.”  Has this happened to you?  

I came home and downloaded My Medical app on my iPhone.  My niece had recommended it to me.  This app costs $3.99 so I had not purchased it yet.  I had looked at a couple free apps.  I have some great free apps on my phone.  So I had looked at several free medical information apps but they weren’t pleasing me.  So that night, I did it; I paid the $3.99 and downloaded My Medical app.  I had my husband download it on his phone also.  I began to put medical information for myself and my husband into the app, I found I like this app a lot.  I expected it to be labor intensive but it wasn’t.  I was able to share my information onto my husband’s phone and vice versa. 

If you find yourself wanting an easy-to-use app for your medical information (and your loved ones), check out My Medical app.  Oh, and by the way, my last tetanus shot was in 2010. 

Trusted medical websites, pt 3

Premier health organizations have websites.  I am including a few of the many professional organizations that provide valuable information to consumers. 

American Heart Association, http://www.heart.org

National Kidney Foundation, http://www.kidney.org

American Stroke Association, http://www.stroke.org

American Diabetes Association, http://www.diabetes.org

American Lung Association, http://www.lung.org

Arthritis Foundation, http://www.arthritis.org