PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Traffic fatalities spike during spring break

University of Miami study finds that at popular spring break destinations, there is a spike in traffic fatalities during the spring break season

2015-03-18
(Press-News.org) CORAL GABLES, Fla. (March 18, 2015) -- Come spring break, college students from all over the country travel to warmer climates for time off from school and to escape the cold weather. However, it's not all fun in the sun. At popular spring break destinations, fatalities from car crashes are significantly higher during the spring break weeks compared to other times of the year, according to a recent study published in the journal Economic Inquiry.

"We found that between the last week of February and the first week of April, a significantly greater number of traffic fatalities occurred in spring break hot spots compared to other locations in the same states and at other times of the year," said Michael T French, professor of health economics in the Department of Sociology in the University of Miami (UM) College of Arts and Sciences, and one of the authors of the study. "The primary implication is that roadways are dangerous during the spring break period, not only for spring breakers, but also for the residents and other visitors of popular spring break destinations."

The study examined fatal passenger vehicle crashes for 14 popular spring break destinations located in seven states: Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The title of the article is "Fast Times During Spring Breaks: Are Traffic Fatalities Another Consequence?"

Key findings include: The weekly death toll resulting from car crashes in the 14 spring break counties was 9.1 percent higher during the spring break season compared to other weeks of the year. This translates into 16 more traffic deaths per year in all 14 counties examined. There was a significantly higher incidence of traffic fatalities that involved out-of-state drivers than in-state drivers. Fatalities involving drivers younger than 25 years old were far more common than fatalities involving older drivers. There were no statistically significant differences between traffic fatalities involving drivers with alcohol impairment compared to those with no alcohol impairment. During the spring break season, there was no significant increase in traffic fatalities in non-spring break counties located in the same states as the spring break counties--supporting a true spring break effect.

Although previous studies have shown an increase in alcohol consumption during spring break, the current analysis did not find a significantly greater number of traffic fatalities involving alcohol. So, while the results indicate an overall increase in traffic fatalities associated with spring break, it did not disentangle the possible mechanisms.

The study notes that spring break is an economic boom for host communities, so local governments should consider direct incentives for spring breakers to avoid driving during their stay. For example, any tourist with a valid college I.D. would be eligible for travel vouchers that can be used with taxis, public transportation, and shared ride programs.

"The out-of-state students could easily pick up these travel vouchers at the local chamber of commerce or visitor centers," said Gulcin Gumus, assistant professor in the Department of Management Programs at Florida Atlantic University and co-author of the study. "Travel vouchers are far more inexpensive compared to the loss of life."

As an extension of the current study, French and Gumus are now analyzing data on pedestrian fatalities in spring break hotspots.

INFORMATION:

- http://www.as.miami.edu -



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Computer sims: In climatic tug of war, carbon released from thawing permafrost wins handily

2015-03-18
There's a carbon showdown brewing in the Arctic as Earth's climate changes. On one side, thawing permafrost could release enormous amounts of long-frozen carbon into the atmosphere. On the opposing side, as high-latitude regions warm, plants will grow more quickly, which means they'll take in more carbon from the atmosphere. Whichever side wins will have a big impact on the carbon cycle and the planet's climate. If the balance tips in favor of permafrost-released carbon, climate change could accelerate. If the balance tips in favor of carbon-consuming plants, climate ...

Buckyballs become bucky-bombs

Buckyballs become bucky-bombs
2015-03-18
In 1996, a trio of scientists won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their discovery of Buckminsterfullerene - soccer-ball-shaped spheres of 60 joined carbon atoms that exhibit special physical properties. Now, 20 years later, scientists have figured out how to turn them into Buckybombs. These nanoscale explosives show potential for use in fighting cancer, with the hope that they could one day target and eliminate cancer at the cellular level - triggering tiny explosions that kill cancer cells without affecting surrounding tissue. "Future applications would probably ...

Robot model for infant learning shows bodily posture may affect memory and learning

Robot model for infant learning shows bodily posture may affect memory and learning
2015-03-18
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- An Indiana University cognitive scientist and collaborators have found that posture is critical in the early stages of acquiring new knowledge. The study, conducted by Linda Smith, a professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, in collaboration with a roboticist from England and a developmental psychologist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offers a new approach to studying the way "objects of cognition," such as words or memories of physical objects, are tied to the position ...

On the origin of theory: Were forensic examiners first to uncover 'ecological succession'?

2015-03-18
For generations, students have been taught the concept of "ecological succession" with examples from the plant world, such as the progression over time of plant species that establish and grow following a forest fire. Indeed, succession is arguably plant ecology's most enduring scientific contribution, and its origins with early 20th-century plant ecologists have been uncontested. Yet, this common narrative may actually be false. As posited in an article published in the March 2015 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology, two decades before plant scientists explored the ...

New study shows MeMed's blood test accurately distinguishes bacterial and viral infections

2015-03-18
Tirat Carmel, Israel - March 19, 2015 - MeMed, Ltd., today announced publication of the results of a large multicenter prospective clinical study that validates the ability of its ImmunoXpert in-vitro diagnostic blood test to determine whether a patient has an acute bacterial or viral infection. The study enrolled more than 1,000 patients and is published in the March 18, 2015 online edition of PLOS ONE. Unlike most infectious disease diagnostics that rely on direct pathogen detection, MeMed's assay decodes the body's immune response to accurately characterize the cause ...

Amazon's carbon uptake declines as trees die faster

Amazons carbon uptake declines as trees die faster
2015-03-18
The most extensive land-based study of the Amazon to date reveals it is losing its capacity to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. From a peak of two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year in the 1990s, the net uptake by the forest has halved and is now for the first time being overtaken by fossil fuel emissions in Latin America. The results of this monumental 30-year survey of the South American rainforest, which involved an international team of almost 100 researchers and was led by the University of Leeds, are published today in the journal Nature. Over recent ...

Structure of genetic messenger molecules reveals key role in diseases

2015-03-18
Messenger RNAs (mRNA) are linear molecules that contain instructions for producing the proteins that keep living cells functioning. A new study by UCL researchers has shown how the three-dimensional structures of mRNAs determine their stability and efficiency inside cells. This new knowledge could help to explain how seemingly minor mutations that alter mRNA structure might cause things to go wrong in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. mRNAs carry genetic information from DNA to be translated into proteins. They are generated as long chains of molecules, but ...

Who do you think you really are? The first fine-scale genetic map of the British Isles

2015-03-18
Many people in the UK feel a strong sense of regional identity, and it now appears that there may be a scientific basis to this feeling, according to a landmark new study into the genetic makeup of the British Isles. An international team, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, UCL (University College London) and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Australia, used DNA samples collected from more than 2,000 people to create the first fine-scale genetic map of any country in the world. Their findings, published in Nature, show that prior to the mass ...

How planthoppers got their wings

How planthoppers got their wings
2015-03-18
DURHAM, N.C. -- Each year, rice in Asia faces a big threat from a sesame seed-sized insect called the brown planthopper. Now, a study reveals the molecular switch that enables some planthoppers to develop short wings and others long -- a major factor in their ability to invade new rice fields. The findings will appear Mar. 18 in the journal Nature. Lodged in the stalks of rice plants, planthoppers use their sucking mouthparts to siphon sap. Eventually the plants turn yellow and dry up, a condition called "hopper burn." Each year, planthopper outbreaks destroy hundreds ...

Antibiotic resistance linked to corruption: ANU media release

2015-03-18
Researchers have linked antibiotic resistance with poor governance and corruption around the world. Lead researcher Professor Peter Collignon from The Australian National University (ANU) School of Medicine said the increase in antibiotic-resistant infections was one of the greatest threats facing modern medicine. In the United States alone, around 23,000 deaths and two million illnesses each year have been attributed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "We found poor governance and higher levels of corruption are associated with higher levels of antibiotic resistance," ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

New antibody discovery platform can inform Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

The Biophysical Journal names Marcel P. Goldchen-Ohm the 2024 Paper of the Year-Early Career Investigator awardee

A new system to study phytoplankton: Crucial species for planet Earth

Scientists discover "genetic weak spot" in endangered Italian bear population

New insights into Alzheimer's brain inflammation

Sweet taste receptors in the heart: A new pathway for cardiac regulation

Designing antivirals for shape-shifting viruses

Cone snail toxin inspires new method for studying molecular interactions

Cellular “scaffold” key to first successful implant of myoblasts onto healthy muscle

Innovative design techniques for better performance of wireless transmitters

Marine mystery solved: How anemonefish avoid stings from their sea anemone hosts

A diabetes, heart failure, and kidney disease medication is the first of its kind to significantly reduce both heart attacks and strokes

Researchers discover how opsin 3, a light-sensitive brain protein, regulates food consumption in mice

New blood test could improve Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis, research finds

Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees

Trees might need our help to survive climate change, CSU study finds

Terabytes of data in a millimeter crystal

New technology enhances gravitational-wave detection

Gene therapy for rare epilepsy shows promise in mice

Scientists use distant sensor to monitor American Samoa earthquake swarm

New study explains how antidepressants can protect against infections and sepsis

Research reveals how Earth got its ice caps

Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone

Clearing the way for faster and more cost-effective separations

Researchers develop a five-minute quality test for sustainable cement industry materials

Three Texas A&M professors elected to National Academy Of Engineering

New research sheds light on using multiple CubeSats for in-space servicing and repair missions

Research suggests comprehensive CT scans may help identify atherosclerosis among lung cancer patients

Adults don’t trust health care to use AI responsibly and without harm

INSEAD webinar on the dual race to AI & global leadership

[Press-News.org] Traffic fatalities spike during spring break
University of Miami study finds that at popular spring break destinations, there is a spike in traffic fatalities during the spring break season