On average, there are 6 million car accidents per year in the United States. While there are many reasons car accidents could occur, maintaining good health can significantly decrease your chances of being a part of the statistics.
Safe Alcohol Consumption
It’s no secret that the biggest car accident culprit is alcohol. Every day, nearly 30 Americans die in a drunk driving-related accident, equating to one person every 50 minutes. You don’t have to be entirely alcohol-free to maintain good health, but you do have to have safe and healthy consumption habits.
It goes without saying that you should never drive if you’ve had a drink—even if it’s just one. There are plenty of ride-sharing apps you can use to get you home safely or reach out to a reliable and sober friend or family member.
Medicine
It’s an unfortunate reality that we have an opioid epidemic ravaging the United States. There is a cavalier attitude towards pain killers and other prescription drugs that have allowed the easy, quick, and cheap consumption of opiates, devastating communities across the nation.
Opioids drastically reduce a person’s ability to make rational choices, such as the choice to even bet behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, as well as their general reaction time and cognitive functioning.
But opioids are obviously risky: what about other substances, such as over the counter medications?
Always make sure to read the instructions on your medications carefully! Regardless of whether the medication is over the counter or prescribed by your doctor, you always want to make sure that you are familiar with what you are consuming.
Some medications, such as antihistamines or aspirin, are known to affect cognitive functioning in some people but are so commonplace that no one bothers to read the label prior to consumption. Before getting behind the wheel, get familiar with what you are putting in your body!
Sleep
Unfortunately, we have all made the decision to drive while drowsy at some point in our lives. According to the Sleep Foundation, sixty percent of driving adults in the United States have made the decision to get behind the wheel while yawning. Yikes! Sometimes, the result is deadly
There are some major similarities between the effects that driving while sleepy has and the effects of driving while drunk. Sleepiness and drunkenness both slow our ability to make quick decisions, which can prove deadly on the road. However, there are some differences between the two states as well. Drunk drivers are more likely to drive cautiously, whereas sleepy drivers will still drive fast and accidentally nod off.
Sleep (or lack thereof) also affects our ability to drive responsibly in other ways. Ever feel cranky because you had a long day?
“Drivers become fatigued behind the wheel, which can cause delayed reactions and aggressive habits as they try to reach their destination faster,” says Barnes Firm, a personal injury lawyer based in California. Road rage incidents caused by irritated drivers on the road can become fatal in worst-case scenarios.
Mental Health
Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorders can quickly spiral out of the victim’s control on the road. Panic attacks are terrifying episodes. What makes panic attacks all the more difficult to deal with is how they can be easily misconstrued as something else. In fact, one feature of panic attacks is convincing the sufferer that they are having a heart attack or otherwise dying.
Now, imagine having a panic attack out of nowhere, going 70 on the highway. Not good! Panic attacks can come out of nowhere, even when you think you have been having a good day otherwise. This is why preventative measures are the best treatment for panic attacks. Just like general physicians conduct annual physicals, regardless of whether we feel sick, we should all be consulting mental health professionals for regular check-ins.
Learning to recognize panic attacks is the first step, so you can try reasoning yourself out of them. If you fear you may have suffered from or be suffering from panic attacks, you should consult with a licensed mental health professional.
Physical Exercise
It has always seemed intuitive that a good physical form would yield positive mental results (and vice versa), but now we have the science to back it up. Physical exercise improves our cognitive function overall. Regular physical activity helps our brains learn better and faster.
Even more important when driving, regular exercise boosts our concentration and our attention spans as well. Exercise has also been shown to improve alertness. These are all clearly vital in the prevention of automobile and traffic accidents.
In the long term, physical activity has also been shown to slow the onset of diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. So a good fitness regime can keep you safer on the road, and for longer.
Diet
It is like your mother always said: you are what you eat! A healthy, balanced diet full of leafy greens, juicy berries, and vibrant vegetables is the most important piece of the human fitness puzzle. Everything we feel and do with our bodies is a result of what we used to fuel it.
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
Processed foods, simple carbs, and sugary drinks all contribute to decreased awareness of our surroundings and general sluggishness. As we all know, slowed response times on the road can be a recipe for disaster. One should only be behind the wheel at their peak alertness.
A good diet can also help prevent degenerative brain diseases.
Want to know more?
When was the last time you did nothing? The Dutch practice of Niksen encourages you to do nothing and this can have some amazing benefits for your health.
