Motor Vehicle Safety

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Basics

• Summary
• Latest News
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools
• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• No links available

For You

• Children
• Women
• Seniors

Summary

Every year thousands of people in the U.S. die from motor vehicle crashes. Trying to prevent these crashes is one part of motor vehicle safety. Here are some things you can do to be safer on the road:

• Make sure your vehicle is safe and in working order
• Use car seats for children
• Wear your seat belt
• Don't speed or drive aggressively
• Don't drive impaired

Safety also involves being aware of others. Share the road with bicycles and motorcycles, and watch for pedestrians.

Latest News

• Teen Drivers Take More Chances as Senior Year Begins (08/04/2017, HealthDay)
• Legalized Pot May Lead to More Traffic Crashes (06/22/2017, HealthDay)
• Helmets for Motorcyclists a No Brainer (06/16/2017, HealthDay)
• More News on Motor Vehicle Safety

Prevention and Risk Factors

• CDC Vital Signs: Motor Vehicle Crash Injuries: Costly but Preventable (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Auto Battery Safety Facts (Prevent Blindness America) - PDF
• How to Avoid Headlight Glare (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF

Health Check Tools

• Drivers 65 Plus (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF

Videos and Tutorials

• Children in Hot Cars Result in Fatal Consequences (American College of Emergency Physicians)

Statistics and Research

• 2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
• CDC Vital Signs: Adult Seat Belt Use in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• CDC Vital Signs: Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• CDC Vital Signs: Trucker Safety Also in Spanish

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Practice Safe Driving.
• Article: Counterfactual simulations applied to SHRP2 crashes: The effect of driver...
• Article: Single-vehicle crashes along rural mountainous highways in Malaysia: An application...
• Motor Vehicle Safety -- see more articles

Children

• AAP Updates Recommendations on Car Seats (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Auto Safety (Nemours Foundation)
• CDC Vital Signs: Child Passenger Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Staying Safe in the Car and on the Bus (Nemours Foundation)
• What Are Some Ways to Promote Infant Safety in a Car? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Women

• Pregnancy: Should I Use a Seat Belt? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Seniors

• Drivers 65 Plus (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety) - PDF
• Driving Safely (National Institute on Aging) - PDF
• How Do You Know When It's Time to Give up the Keys? (Administration for Community Living) - PDF
• Older Drivers (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish