Doctor’s Orders: Drive Safe

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Wound care. To my surprise, that unit in my high school Medical Assistant course taught me more about driving realities than I would have ever expected. As part of our lesson, one day, we had a few individuals come in to speak to us about their experiences with severe, life-changing wound incidents, and I will never forget one man’s story. 

He was riding on his motorcycle on a main road when a truck came and hit him, causing him to crash into the car behind him, attached to which he was dragged on the road for almost a mile. He explained that his torso and legs were barely still connected, and by the time the ambulance arrived, the doctors deemed it a miracle that he was still alive. After years of surgery and physical therapy, he is now accustomed to his colostomy bag, sharing his story to spread awareness. 

Hearing his recollection, I assumed that he must have had a one-in-a-million experience, unfortunate and uncommon. However, to my disdain, I was wrong. According to the National Safety Council, motorcycle fatalities account for 14.6% of all traffic fatalities, whilst only 3% of registered vehicles are motorcycles in the United States.¹ In addition, in my state of Virginia, motorcyclists that were seriously injured accounted for 10.7% of all serious traffic injuries.² According to a study conducted by the Department of Transportation, 81% of motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, usually a passenger vehicle. ³

All this data proved to me that such incidents were not as rare as I thought, and emphasized the importance of driver education in me, though that may not have been my teacher’s initial intention with this lesson. Most importantly, there are ways to prevent these crashes and bring these numbers down. 

It is most crucial to be aware of any visible people, whether it be pedestrians, bikers, or motorcyclists; any driver should recognize these individuals’ whereabouts immediately, and make sure to maintain an ample distance from them. Especially when in larger intersections, as 72% of motorcycle deaths occur in these areas, it is important to be aware of those individuals who are least protected. 

One way to ensure safety is to not rely simply on mirrors, due to the heavy presence of blind spots, and rather focus on using peripheral vision and looking directly through windows in the vehicle to determine the presence of others. A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that monitoring blind spots reduced crashes of all severities by 14% and crashes with injuries by 23%. ⁴ 

Another form of safety is avoiding drunk driving. In the United States, alcohol is a factor in 49% of traffic crashes causing pedestrian fatalities, and 29% of alcohol-involved crash fatalities have involved motorcyclists. ^5,6 Driving is already an unpredictable practice, and sober individuals often face unexpected issues on the road- driving under the influence only amplifies these existing risks for the drunk driver and everyone around them.

Learning such stories as a new driver myself has truly influenced me. Whenever driving, my eyes are always on the road. I maintain a focused position, as I know that if I become too relaxed, my reflexes will decrease and I may not be as responsive to unexpected circumstances. In addition, as a college student, when sensing a situation in which driving under the influence may occur, I always volunteer to be the designated driver ahead of time to ensure safety above all else. 

One aspect of driving that I can improve on is checking my blind spots. With my fear of taking my eyes off the road, I only feel comfortable looking at the mirrors and directly in front of me through the windshield. However, it is important for me to turn and look through the side and rear windows to ensure that I am accounting for the areas not captured by the mirrors, especially when changing lanes. 

As a student looking to work in medicine, this story made me realize that it is most important to help prevent health issues that can possibly be averted, as there are a magnitude of unpreventable conditions that occur simply due to luck. Autoimmune diseases may not have a preventative method, but driving-caused injuries certainly do. Maintaining awareness of exposed drivers and pedestrians on the road and ensuring to stay intoxication-free before and while driving helps prevent drastic cases such as that which was presented to me in my wound care lecture; taking a few steps to save many lives.