Playing "Chicken" is Plain Stupid

Drivers playing “chicken” with a runner, walker, or bicyclist who actually WIN this deadly game are likely to head to prison for homicide by motor vehicle.  Despite this potential outcome, it’s amazing the number of people who are more than eager to play the game anyway.

As a runner and bicyclist, I am shocked by the number of drivers who – laughing the whole time – intentionally veer into my path in an attempt to get me to dive into the nearest ditch. Interestingly enough, I have had drivers purposefully swerve onto a gravel berm or into a designated bicycle lane just to see my reaction! While I personally may be quick enough jump out of the way, many others may not be as agile. But, that’s despite the point. Furthermore, it’s not just the suspected new and young drivers who play the game; plenty of veteran vehicle operators seem to enjoy a rousing round of chicken with any unsuspecting pedestrian that may be in their path. My last rendezvous with a chicken-playing car was driven by a female senior citizen laughing with her passenger-side girlfriend as I vaulted head first into the bushes nearby.

Regardless of your age, think about this whole game concept: you’re driving a one-ton or heavier vehicle into the path of a 130-pound person (more or less, depending on the pedestrian). It seems like a silly question, but which one do you think would win that battle? That’s a no-brainer. Chicken is a stupid, dangerous, and reckless game. Plain and simple: it’s murder or, at the very least, attempted murder. Whenever I can, I always make an effort to capture the license plate number of the car with my camera phone or memory when I witness such behavior. Unlike some, I will take the time to pursue the issue in court. And, I encourage other pedestrians, runners, and cyclists to do the same and follow-through with at least a reckless endangerment charge against the driver.

According to federal law, killing someone intentionally with your vehicle (including via the game “chicken”) is considered manslaughter. Manslaughter is a Class C Felony, which the law reads: “holds people liable for any death which occurs because of criminal negligence, or a violation of traffic safety laws.”

To refresh (or enlighten) you about the law, here is the entire statute from Pennsylvania’s State Laws:

Homicide by vehicle - 75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3732

Offense. – Any person who recklessly or with gross negligence causes the death of another person while engaged in the violation of any law of this Commonwealth or municipal ordinance applying to the operation or use of a vehicle or to the regulation of traffic except section 3802 (relating to driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance) is guilty of homicide by vehicle, a felony of the third degree, when the violation is the cause of death.

According to the maximum sentence in Pennsylvania, the violator could face up to five years in jail plus pay any losses in connection with the family of the deceased. In other states, jail sentences could be upwards of 40 years, as was the case with one person in Wisconsin. In essence, playing “chicken” could cost you more than you bargain for.  In addition, anyone playing “chicken” where death does not occur could still be charged with reckless endangerment, a 2^nd degree misdemeanor, which is subject to up to two years in prison plus payment of personal losses and psychological distress suffered by the victim.

I don’t care how “fun” or “cool” it may appear, “chicken” is deadly and stupid. There is never a reason to intentionally steer your car into the path of a runner or cyclist – or any other pedestrian. If you do, you may bear the consequences of reckless endangerment or face criminal charges of homicide by motor vehicle.

A motor vehicle is not a toy, it is not a video game … it is a mode of transportation and needs to be treated as such. There are certain responsibilities that come with obtaining that driver’s license. One of those responsibilities involves eliminating the risk to your life and the lives of others. Public health professionals have long been pushing for people to take driving seriously for their own protection – but more importantly, for the safety of those around you: mothers with babies, toddlers, children, senior citizens, or any other human being.

Keep the community safe. Drive with some common sense or don’t drive at all.

References

Pennsylvania Law and Research. (2011). Pennsylvania Criminal Law. Retrieved August 22, 2011 from http://www.pa-laws.com/pa-laws_website_008.htm.

Pennsylvania State Law. (2011). Retrieved August 22, 2011 from http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/vehicles/00.037.032.000.html.

Wikipedia. (2011). Manslaughter. Retrieved August 22, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manslaughter.

Oral Health, Personal Safety Key Issues in Crawford County

Lack of access to oral health and general personal safety concerns are among the key issues identified through the preliminary results of the Crawford Health Needs Assessment.

Currently, less than 1,000 people have submitted their responses to the health assessment. To have an accurate picture of the health needs throughout the county, the assessment team would like to have 10 percent of the county’s population respond to its survey, which is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/crawfordcountyhealth.  Because the survey is performed through SurveyMonkey, only one response is permitted per computer; therefore, the assessment team is encouraging phone calls to receive paper surveys or complete the 12-minute survey via phone. County residents are urged to call Jessica Chase at 814-333-1762 or Max Lindquist at 814-333-1758. All information is confidential and neither your name nor phone number will not be taken for any purpose. You can also find the assessment team at the Crawford County Fair next week.

According to these preliminary results, nearly 30 percent of the respondents said that they have either found it difficult finding dental care that is affordable or that they lack dental insurance. In addition, nearly one-quarter of the respondents noted that their employer doesn’t offer dental insurance. Oral health is a serious concern, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is often taken for granted. The CDC reports that oral diseases often afflict those in lower-income brackets because they cannot afford or find appropriate care. Gum disease that results from poor oral hygiene is also a serious problem and if left untreated could lead to other health issues. The CDC reports links between oral infections and diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature and low-weight births. A common and easy fix for all residents of a community is through water fluoridation – something lacking in Meadville as well as other parts of Crawford County.

The second issue revealed in the assessment’s preliminary results revolved around four key community safety concerns. First, nearly 85% of the respondents stated that they believe poverty is prevalent throughout Crawford County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the citizens of Crawford County have an accurate view of the area’s poverty status. The percentage of people living below poverty in Crawford County is 16.2, which is far above the state’s poverty percentage of 12.5. It is also higher than the national average of people living below the poverty level, which is 14.3 percent.  With approximately 88,800 people living in Crawford County, the number of people surviving at or below the poverty level is an astounding 14,300! Poverty and poor health are strongly linked, mainly because those living in poverty cannot afford or access the health care system. In addition, studies have shown that those in poverty often will wait until a health problem is beyond cure before seeking assistance. Preventative care is generally not a consideration for those living in poverty due to a lack of financial resources.

Also revealed in the assessment was the belief that underage drinking is a serious issue in Crawford County. Interestingly, the Crawford County Drug and Alcohol Commission has been working on a social norms campaign at the high school and college levels to dispel rumors of the prevalence of underage drinking. Contrary to the popular belief that underage drinking is widespread, the CCDAC found that this is truly not the case. Less than 10 percent of the underage population participates in underage drinking with the majority adhering to the law and sound personal principals. The social norms campaign has been successful in preventing young people from trying alcohol because they believe “it is what everyone is doing.” Because it is NOT what young people are doing, the perception of underage drinking issues must be changed. Students across the county are working closely with the CCDAC to reveal the truth about underage drinking in Crawford County.

Another issue unveiled through the health assessment was that 77 percent of the respondents admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving with 36 percent stating they texted while driving over the past year. Distracted driving is a serious health and safety concern. Driving requires full attention. While we are a population of multi-taskers, driving while distracted in any form can cause serious injury or death to you or someone else. According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, 16 percent of all fatal crashes from 2008 were due to distracted driving.  Only 24 states have banned texting while driving for all drivers with 9 states banning the practice for novice drivers. That leaves 17 states, including Pennsylvania, which allows the practice of texting while driving. Of interest, the bus that drives your child to school every day could legally text while driving that bus – with your children on board! The concern revealed from nationwide statistics as well as through our own health assessment shows that distracted driving is prevalent and worsening if stricter laws are not put into place.

These preliminary results could profoundly change depending on how many people respond to the survey by the end of the surveying period. Again, if you haven’t yet completed it, you can do so at the Crawford County Fair the week of August 21^st. All residents of the county are urged to make their health needs known so that the health organizations in our communities can provide the services and help you need.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Oral Health: Preventing cavities, gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancers at a glance 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/doh.htm.

Texting While Driving. (2011). Beware the dangers of texting while driving. Retrieved August 4, 2011 from http://texting-while-driving.org/.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). Quick Facts: Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 4, 2011 from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/42039.html.

You Are What You Tweet

“You are what you tweet!” That is the title of a newly released research study that revealed an interesting public health view of social networking. In the high-speed computer age in which we now reside, it’s important to remember that much information is commonly and voluntarily revealed through postings to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and many other such sites. 

In July, Johns Hopkins University released a study that discovered “tweets” could potentially help identify public health trends across the country and throughout the world. The recent study suggested that Twitter in particular could help identify health patterns of cancer, obesity, allergies, tobacco use, insurance needs, and much more. People tweet a plethora of information, many of which tend to revolve around the health of themselves and their families. By monitoring the tweeting of specific words or phrases provided real-time information on population health by region, state, and locality.

Several examples from this study showed that traditional health monitoring systems did eventually catch up to the information that Twitter tweets revealed so much faster. Influenza was one such piece of information. The study showed that people tweeting how sick they felt or that they had caught the flu provided quicker tracking information than current models used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the article found that the Twitter tracking had a 96 percent correlation with the CDC’s flu monitoring system. The only difference was that the tweets were more quickly revealed than the CDC’s system. Furthermore, the state level tracking system was also highly correlated to Twitter posts.

In relation to influenza tracking information, Twitter users were posting their use of antibiotics for the flu, which indicated a need for improved public education on the overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics are to be used for bacterial infections. Influenza is a viral infection and, therefore, it is useless for killing the flu bug. In this case, the tweets could lead to improved public health awareness campaigns.

Insomnia was also highly reported via Twitter, as was the use of Benadryl to combat the problem. The revelation for public health professionals showed that over-the-counter drugs are often used for off-label ailments.

Aches and pains were identified frequently among Twitter posters. Among those revealing headaches or similar trouble tweeted the word “ibuprofen” most frequently (39 percent of the time for minor headaches; 49 percent for more severe pain). Such information could show the self-medication behaviors of the population. Such tweets also include the use of stronger medications such as codeine and Vicodin.

Finally, obesity and other food-related health concerns could all be tracked through postings related to exercising, lack of exercising, cheating on a diet, eating fresh fruits, going to the farmer’s market, eating fast food, binge eating, and the list goes on. Social media monitoring could potentially lead to improved health education and interventions to reverse the growing obesity rates.

The take-home message of such a study is two-fold. For public health professionals, it offers yet another monitoring method to help track trends and build needed health campaigns to improve the health of the population. For the general public, your tweets are helpful in revealing your health needs, health preferences, and health conditions. The Johns Hopkins University researchers ask that people continue to post at will, because it may actually be one of the fastest health monitoring systems currently available today.

References

Paul, M. J., & Dredze, M. (2011). You are what you tweet: Analyzing Twitter for public health.  Human Language Technology Center of Excellence, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

Sneiderman, P. (2011). You are what you tweet: Tracking public health trends by Twitter. Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://gazette.jhu.edu/?p=8356.

Villarica, H. (2011). 10 things we can learn from your health-related Twitter rants. Retrieved July 18, 2011 from http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/07/10-things-we-can-learn-from-your-health-related-twitter-rants/242002/#slide1.