Driving

Birmingham, AL — Parents and caregivers need to keep a close eye on kids in parking lots to prevent injuries, researchers at the University of Birmingham at Alabama say after their observational study revealed frequent unsafe behaviors.

Good ergonomics isn’t limited to the office: The same practices that can help avoid aches and pains at your desk can be applied to your drive to and from work, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety says.

New York — Do you zone out behind the wheel? Results of a recent survey show 27% of U.S. drivers admit to doing so, earning them the nickname “zombie drivers.”

Austin, TX — More than 7 out of 10 people admit to driving drowsy, and nearly 1 in 4 say they’ve driven drunk, according to a recent report from online driving school DriversEd.com.

Ruckersville, VA — Speed limit increases resulted in 36,730 driver fatalities from 1993 to 2017, a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.

Washington — More pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities occurred in 2016 than in any other year over the past quarter century, and the rate of such deaths is growing rapidly, a recent report from the League of American Bicyclists shows.

Itasca, IL — Fifty-one children died from heatstroke in 2018 after being left in a hot car, surpassing a previous high of 49 deaths in 2010, according to data from the National Safety Council.

Bethesda, MD — All-terrain vehicle-related deaths involving kids younger than 16 accounted for more than 1 in 5 of the 15,000-plus ATV-related deaths recorded between 1982 and 2017 in the United States, according to a recent Consumer Product Safety Commission report.

Itasca, IL — Seventy-one percent of U.S. drivers take photos or videos when they see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road responding to a fire or a crash, and 16% of these drivers struck or nearly struck a first responder or the emergency vehicle, according to the results of a survey released April 3 by the National Safety Council and the Emergency Responder Safety Institute.

Washington — Teen drivers are up to seven times more likely to be involved in a crash if they’re distracted by smartphones or other items, results of a recent National Institutes of Health study show.