August 31, 2011 (Press-News.org) A new study by Transportation For America takes a state-by-state look at pedestrian safety in the U.S. In the wake of public awareness campaigns for motorcycle safety and distracted driving, pedestrian safety has seen less public attention, resources and funding.
The study found that, between 2000 and 2009, over 47,700 pedestrians were killed nationwide and an additional 688,000 pedestrians were injured.
Data from the study ranks Memphis as the fifth deadliest metro area for pedestrians out of a list of 54 cities with populations over 1 million. Memphis had the highest ranking of any city outside of Florida, with Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville taking the first four spots.
The average number of annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents in Memphis was 1.83 between 2007 and 2008, based on the 47 pedestrians killed during that time.
Pedestrian Safety is a Problem Throughout Tennessee
During the last decade, over 800 pedestrians were killed in Tennessee, costing the state $3.47 billion. But, Tennessee spent only 2.4 percent of their total federal funding for projects promoting safety for pedestrians and lowering the number of annual bicycle accidents.
Transportation For America notes that most pedestrian deaths occurred along roadways that are "dangerous by design," meaning they are designed to keep traffic speeds high and offer little or no protection or visibility for pedestrians and bicyclists. "Our federal tax dollars actually go to build these streets that are designed to be perilous to children, older adults and everyone else," the study reported.
Coinciding with the release of Transportation For America's report, Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has lead a group of co-sponsors in introducing the Complete Streets Act of 2011. The Complete Streets Act is a legislative effort to re-design streets so that they are more accessible to all forms of transportation and transit, not just motor vehicles.
If you've been injured in a pedestrian accident, an experienced personal injury attorney in your area can help you understand your rights to compensation for your injuries.
Article provided by Gatti, Keltner, Bienven & Montesi, PLC
Visit us at www.gkbm.com
Memphis, Tennessee Ranked Fifth Among Deadliest Cities for Pedestrians
Despite welcoming weather, interesting sites to visit and a rich history, Memphis streets and sidewalks are not necessarily friendly to people traveling by foot. Ranked the fifth deadliest city in the U.S. for pedestrian accidents, walking in Memphis can be dangerous.
2011-08-31
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Are New England's iconic maples at risk?
2011-08-31
Are new England's iconic maple trees at risk? If a beetle has its way, the answer may be yes.
Results from the first study of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) in forests show that the invasive insect can easily spread from tree-lined city streets to neighboring forests.
A paper reporting the results appears today in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research.
Successful ALB eradication efforts in Chicago, and ongoing eradication efforts in Boston, New York, and other U.S. cities have focused exclusively on urban street trees.
The ongoing ALB infestation in Worcester, ...
Innovative Gene Screening Process Could Improve Odds for Cancer Patients
2011-08-31
Researchers at the Intermountain Clinical Genetics Institute at LDS Hospital have developed a new method for identifying patients who carry a gene that affects treatment for colon and other forms of cancer.
In addition to being more cost effective than previously existing tests, the novel technique ensures accurate results; it could soon be the gold standard in early detection and treatment for many colon cancer patients.
Diagnosing Lynch Syndrome May Inform Treatment Decisions
A number of cancer patients suffer from an inherited condition known as Lynch syndrome. ...
Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel cells
2011-08-31
A team of USC scientists has developed a robust, efficient method of using hydrogen as a fuel source.
Hydrogen makes a great fuel because of it can easily be converted to electricity in a fuel cell and because it is carbon free. The downside of hydrogen is that, because it is a gas, it can only be stored in high pressure or cryogenic tanks.
In a vehicle with a tank full of hydrogen, "if you got into a wreck, you'd have a problem," said Travis Williams, assistant professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College.
A possible solution is to store hydrogen in a safe ...
Minnesota Child Support Basics
2011-08-31
When married couples with children divorce or obtain a legal separation, the court has the authority and an obligation to order child support. It is public policy in Minnesota that both parents shall be liable for the financial responsibilities of raising a child. As such, a support order is issued to compel a non-custodial parent to support the custodial parent in raising the child. The parent who is ordered to pay support is called the obligor. The parent who receives such support is called the obligee.
Child Support Generally
Under Minnesota law, child support ...
Calling nurses to exercise as role models for their patients
2011-08-31
Nurses, just like many of their patients, struggle to find time and motivation to exercise. But a new study may give these all-important caregivers some additional pressure and responsibility: nurses' attitudes can influence whether their patients commit to a healthy lifestyle.
"Nurses should model healthy exercise behavior," said Joyce Fitzpatrick, an author of the study in the International Journal of Nursing Practice and the Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.
The study found, ...
Research identifies marketing mix strategy for pharmaceutical firms
2011-08-31
NEW YORK – August 30, 2011 – Research in Marketing Science by Professor Kamel Jedidi, John A. Howard Professor of Business, Marketing, Columbia Business School; Professor Oded Netzer, Philip H. Geier Jr. Associate Professor, Marketing, Columbia Business School; and Professor Ricardo Montoya, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile, reveals how pharmaceutical managers can maximize the return on marketing investments – by determining the physicians to target as well as when and how to target them. The researchers investigate the effectiveness ...
Hospitals Report an Average of One Medication Error per Patient per Day
2011-08-31
An estimated 7,000 deaths and 1.3 million injuries occur each year because of medication errors in America's hospitals. Research by the Institute of Medicine suggests that a typical hospital patient is subjected to an average of at least one medication error per day.
Common Types of Medication Errors
The most common type of error is the administration of an improper dose of medication, which accounts for 41 percent of all medication error deaths. Sixteen percent of medication errors are the result of hospital staff administering the wrong drug altogether, or of using ...
Patients’ health motivates workers to wash their hands
2011-08-31
Can changing a single word on a sign motivate doctors and nurses to wash their hands?
Campaigns about hand-washing in hospitals usually try to scare doctors and nurses about personal illness, says Adam Grant, a psychological scientist at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. "Most safety messages are about personal consequences," Grant says. "They tell you to wash your hands so you don't get sick." But his new study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that this ...
Studies question effectiveness of sex offender laws
2011-08-31
Two studies in the latest issue of the Journal of Law and Economics cast doubt on whether sex offender registry and notification laws actually work as intended.
One study, by J.J. Prescott of the University of Michigan and Johan Rockoff of Columbia University, found that requiring sex offenders to register with police may significantly reduce the chances that they will re-offend. However the research also finds that making that same registry information available to the broader public may backfire, leading to higher overall rates of sex crime.
Meanwhile, another study ...
New Protocols to Avoid Wrong-Site Surgeries
2011-08-31
It seems inconceivable, but surgeons sometimes operate on the wrong side of a patient's body. It is a horrible mistake that should never happen, but unfortunately it does. Nearly 40 patients across the U.S. each week will come out of surgery and learn that doctors operated on the wrong body part, wrong patient or that they completed the wrong procedure.
According to the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, a healthcare accreditation body, wrong-site surgeries are still a problem even after the Commission set forth guidelines meant to prevent such errors ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Study identifies candidates for therapeutic targets in pediatric germ cell tumors
Media alert: The global burden of CVD
Study illuminates contributing factors to blood vessel leakage
What nations around the world can learn from Ukraine
Mixing tree species does not always make forests more drought-resilient
Public confidence in U.S. health agencies slides, fueled by declines among Democrats
“Quantum squeezing” a nanoscale particle for the first time
El Niño spurs extreme daily rain events despite drier monsoons in India
Two studies explore the genomic diversity of deadly mosquito vectors
Zebra finches categorize their vocal calls by meaning
Analysis challenges conventional wisdom about partisan support for US science funding
New model can accurately predict a forest’s future
‘Like talking on the telephone’: Quantum computing engineers get atoms chatting long distance
Genomic evolution of major malaria-transmitting mosquito species uncovered
Overcoming the barriers of hydrogen storage with a low-temperature hydrogen battery
Tuberculosis vulnerability of people with HIV: a viral protein implicated
Partnership with Kenya's Turkana community helps scientists discover genes involved in adaptation to desert living
Decoding the selfish gene, from evolutionary cheaters to disease control
Major review highlights latest evidence on real-time test for blood – clotting in childbirth emergencies
Inspired by bacteria’s defense strategies
Research spotlight: Combination therapy shows promise for overcoming treatment resistance in glioblastoma
University of Houston co-leads $25 million NIH-funded grant to study the delay of nearsightedness in children
NRG Oncology PREDICT-RT study completes patient accrual, tests individualized concurrent therapy and radiation for high-risk prostate cancer
Taking aim at nearsightedness in kids before it’s diagnosed
With no prior training, dogs can infer how similar types of toys work, even when they don’t look alike
Three deadliest risk factors of a common liver disease identified in new study
Dogs can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not appearance
Palaeontology: South American amber deposit ‘abuzz’ with ancient insects
Oral microbes linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer
Soccer heading does most damage to brain area critical for cognition
[Press-News.org] Memphis, Tennessee Ranked Fifth Among Deadliest Cities for PedestriansDespite welcoming weather, interesting sites to visit and a rich history, Memphis streets and sidewalks are not necessarily friendly to people traveling by foot. Ranked the fifth deadliest city in the U.S. for pedestrian accidents, walking in Memphis can be dangerous.