Community Safety

Washington – An estimated 32,850 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2013, a 2.1 percent decrease from 2012, according to a new projection from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Washington – Almost 400 children drown in pools and spas every year, and more than 75 percent of those children are younger than 5, according to a report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Pittsburgh – Emergency department visits due to traumatic brain injuries have spiked almost 30 percent in recent years, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Elk Grove Village, IL – The increased popularity of youth ice hockey – and a subsequent increase in injuries – has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to renew calls for player safety.

Washington – More than 3.5 million drivers across 20 states ran red lights in 2013, according to a study from the National Coalition for Safer Roads.

Atlanta – Almost 5,000 people visited emergency departments in 2012 because of preventable injuries stemming from pool chemicals, according to a study released May 16 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Phoenix – Bacteria that cause the deadly form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease may be able to grow in windshield washer fluid, according to a study presented May 18 at the American Society for Microbiology’s annual meeting in Boston.

Toronto – The increased availability of small, powerful “button” magnets has accompanied a threefold increase in children who are injured by swallowing the objects, according to a study from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada.

Quincy, MA – About 60 percent of home fire deaths from 2007 to 2011 occurred in homes that lacked working smoke alarms, according to a report from the National Fire Protection Association.

Indianapolis – Injuries stemming from trampoline incidents sent more than 1 million children to hospital emergency departments between 2002 and 2011, according to a recent study from the Indiana University School of Medicine.