<p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/MarkRosekind/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=240325-pod-MarkRosekind&utm_content=240325-pod-MarkRosekind-podfeed"> View the Show Notes Page for This Episode</a></p> <p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=240325-pod-MarkRosekind&utm_content=240325-pod-MarkRosekind-podfeed"> Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content</a></p> <p><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/?utm_source=podcast-feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=240325-pod-MarkRosekind&utm_content=240325-pod-MarkRosekind-podfeed"> Sign Up to Receive Peter's Weekly Newsletter</a></p> <p>Mark Rosekind is an expert on road safety and a policy leader with more than 30 years of experience enacting strategic, practical, and effective data-based solutions that enhance driver and pedestrian safety and health in complex environments. In this episode, Mark delves into the persistent issue of accidental deaths resulting from roadway accidents, a concern for those focused on longevity given its consistent risk throughout life. From exploring statistics on car crashes to identifying the demographics most at risk and the key locations of incidents, he uncovers various risk factors including distractions like smartphone usage, the influence of alcohol and cannabis, the dangers of sleep deprivation, and speeding. Mark also provides practical advice for both drivers and pedestrians to enhance safety, while delving into the potential and challenges of emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles. Additionally, Mark provides valuable resources for listeners, particularly parents navigating the road safety landscape with teenage drivers.</p> <p><strong>We discuss:</strong></p> <ul type="disc"> <li>Mark's background and education, and the profound impact of transportation accidents on human lives [4:15];</li> <li>From sleep science to safety leadership: Mark's journey in transportation innovation [14:15];</li> <li>Stats on transportation accidents and fatalities [18:00];</li> <li>Historical trends in road fatalities and the key contributors—impairment, distraction, and more [28:00];</li> <li>The demographics of drivers involved in crashes, and the life-saving potential of better driver education programs [34:30];</li> <li>The most critical areas where drivers need to be hyper-aware to protect themselves [41:00];</li> <li>The role of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in accident investigations, and the importance of data sources like event data recorders (EDRs) in accident reconstruction and investigations [47:00];</li> <li>The dangers of phone use while driving [53:45];</li> <li>How drunk driving was addressed through advocacy and legal changes [1:01:30];</li> <li>The need to address distracted driving and the psychological impact of distracted driving accidents on both victims and perpetrators[1:07:15];</li> <li>Navigating the roads and lowering your risk of accidents: weather, human error, and defensive driving [1:15:45];</li> <li>The impact of impaired driving: alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, and more [1:26:15];</li> <li>Mitigating the effects of vehicle speed [1:38:15];</li> <li>The promise and challenges of autonomous vehicles for road safety [1:44:15];</li> <li>Automatic emergency braking (AEB): the effectiveness and challenges of implementing AEB as a standard feature in new vehicles [1:53:00];</li> <li>Sleep deprivation: the impact of poor sleep, drowsiness, and disrupted circadian rhythm on driving [1:58:15];</li> <li>Protecting pedestrians: strategies for reducing the risk of fatal accidents with pedestrians on foot or bicycle [2:02:30];</li> <li>Empowering safe driving: essential resources and tips for parents and teenage drivers [2:14:00];</li> <li>Promoting a culture of proactive safety: parting thoughts from Mark [2:19:15]; and</li> <li>More.</li> </ul> <p>Connect With Peter on <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterAttiaMD">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/peterattiamd/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/peterattiamd/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8kGsMa0LygSX9nkBcBH1Sg">YouTube</a></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Avoid Impaired Driving
Do not drive when impaired by alcohol, drugs (prescription or illicit), distraction, or drowsiness, as any of these significantly degrade your driving ability and increase risk, contributing to a large percentage of fatalities.
2. Hands, Eyes, Head on Task
Ensure your hands are on the wheel, eyes are on the road, and your head is fully engaged in the driving task, as any distraction (even hands-free phone calls) can degrade performance equivalent to 0.08 alcohol.
3. Prioritize Sufficient Sleep
Consistently get adequate sleep and maintain a stable circadian rhythm, as sleep deprivation and circadian disruption degrade all human capabilities, including reaction time, decision-making, and attention, making driving significantly riskier.
4. Drive Defensively, Stay Aware
Cultivate strong situational awareness by constantly scanning your environment and practice defensive driving by assuming other road users may make poor choices or errors, allowing you to react proactively to potential hazards.
5. Assume Others Break Rules
Never assume other drivers will follow traffic laws; instead, anticipate potential rule-breaking (e.g., running red lights, unexpected turns) and be prepared to slow down, pause, or take evasive action to avoid a collision.
6. Vigilance in High-Risk Zones
Be hypervigilant in intersections (including T-intersections and mall exits), on two-way roads without a median, and around freeway on/off ramps, as these locations present heightened risk due to speed differentials and potential for collisions.
7. Preventable Crashes, Not Accidents
Shift your mindset from viewing road incidents as inevitable ‘accidents’ to preventable ‘crashes,’ which encourages a proactive approach to identifying causal factors and implementing interventions to enhance safety.
8. Human Choice Prevents Crashes
Acknowledge that approximately 94% of crashes are due to human choice or error, reinforcing the critical role of individual behavior and decisions in preventing road incidents.
9. Consciously Choose Driving Focus
Actively decide to eliminate distractions like phone use, especially in challenging driving conditions (e.g., strange roads, higher speeds, more passengers), recognizing that personal choice can significantly enhance safety.
10. Impairment Starts with First Drink
Recognize that driving impairment begins with the first alcoholic drink, as alcohol immediately starts to degrade reaction time, decision-making, and sustained attention, often before you subjectively feel impaired.
11. Beware All Impairing Substances
Exercise extreme caution with cannabis, prescription medications (like sedating antidepressants or benzodiazepines), and over-the-counter drugs (like antihistamines), as they can impair driving ability; always discuss potential effects with your healthcare provider.
12. Actively Coach New Drivers
Provide continuous, real-time coaching to new drivers by pointing out driving decisions, explaining hazard recognition, and discussing defensive strategies during every drive to build their awareness and skills.
13. Pursue Advanced Driver Training
Supplement academic driving lessons with hands-on, experiential training (e.g., on a skid pad) to develop muscle memory for high-end driving skills and emergency maneuvers, which can be crucial for safety.
14. Adhere to Graduated Licensing
Familiarize yourself with and strictly adhere to your state’s graduated licensing laws for new drivers, which often impose restrictions on passengers, nighttime driving, and other factors to reduce risk during their initial driving period.
15. Manual Transmission for Focus
Consider having new drivers learn on a manual transmission vehicle, as the increased engagement required to operate it can enhance their connection to the driving task and reduce distractibility.
16. Pedestrian Safety Protocols
As a pedestrian, always use sidewalks, walk against traffic if no sidewalk is present, cross at marked crosswalks with appropriate signals, and follow all traffic rules to maximize your visibility and safety.
17. Increase Pedestrian Visibility
Make yourself highly visible to drivers, especially at night when over 50% of pedestrian fatalities occur, by wearing bright clothing or using reflective gear.
18. Pedestrian Situational Awareness
Maintain constant situational awareness as a pedestrian, avoiding distractions like phone use or alcohol, and assume drivers may not see you or follow rules, even when you have the right of way.
19. Defensive Cycling Mindset
As a cyclist, always assume that drivers do not see you and may make irrational decisions, even when you have the right of way, to proactively anticipate and avoid potential hazards.
20. Verify Car Seat Installation
Ensure car seats are installed correctly, as a high percentage are not; seek professional assistance from certified car seat technicians (e.g., via Safe Kids Worldwide) to verify proper installation.
21. Consult Road Safety Resources
Utilize reputable resources like NHTSA.gov, IIHS, National Safety Council, Safe Kids Worldwide, and AAA for up-to-date information on vehicle safety, crash test ratings, car seat installation, and general road safety practices.
22. Acknowledge Human Cost of Deaths
Understand that every road death represents a real person with family and community impact, rather than just a statistic, to foster a deeper appreciation for the issue and motivate safer behavior.
23. Learn from Accident Videos
Actively seek out and watch short videos (e.g., 4-minute summaries) detailing specific accident causes and contributing factors, especially for routes you frequently use, to understand what to avoid and increase vigilance.