Tom Brady Car Accident - Driving Safe Car Saves Lives and Careers.

New England Patriots NFL quarterback Tom Brady was on his way to practice when he crashed into a minivan which allegedly ran a red light.  His Audi S8 car T-boned the other vehicle a few blocks from his home.  A relieved New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft noted after the accident:

"[Tom] arched and prepared himself and we're just lucky with the glass and angles. We have a lot to be thankful for. It was really a miracle....We're very, very lucky. Patriot Nation is lucky he had his seatbelt on."

Was it simply luck or good car design and mechanical engineering?  Crumple zones and the passenger cage of a car when built for maximum safety decrease injury.  Yet, unfortunately, there is significant variability among safety in cars.  Brady walked  away from the accident for a variety of reasons.  As a future hall of fame quarterback, Brady has lightning fast reflexes when analyzing defensive blitzes and options when throwing the football.  Quickly bracing himself for impact may have helped.  Wearing a seatbelt definitely helped.

What also helped the most was the type of car he drove.  Audi cars were recently recognized by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety as Top Safety Picks with the manufacturer recognized with more models than any other luxury German car brand. Earning a Top Safety Pick requires that the vehicle receive a good rating in each of these categories - high-speed front and side crash tests, a rollover test, and protection against neck injuries after rear impact with evaluations of seat/head restraints.  Perhaps had celebrity Dr. Frank Ryan driven a top safety pick car despite his vehicle's rollover, he might be alive today.  There is tremendous variability in a vehicle's ability to protect its occupants which vary among manufacturers as well as models and model year.

Driving a safe vehicle should be as important as exercising regularly, eating healthy, and maintaining a good weight.  Much like quitting smoking or losing weight, the goal is to prevent premature death or disability.  Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for those under the age of 34 and the third leading cause of death for people between ages 45 to 54.  Motor vehicle accidents account for the majority of unintentional injuries.  In that moment, all of those healthy habits become meaningless, even for a superstar athlete.  You can do everything right, like Dr. Oz, and discover that you still can have a precancerous colon polyp.


Life happens.  Simply bad luck?  Perhaps.  What can you do to mitigate the risk or bad luck further?

Plan for it the best you can.  In this case, having a car brand that is among the safest in the world, helps.  His car saved his life and saved his career.  It protected him from needing an emergency room visit and evaluation.  As a result, Brady simply walked away from the accident.  He made his practice a little while later and finished his drills with teammates.  He displayed no sign of injury or diability.

Was all of that worth the time and effort to find a car that is fun to drive and yet incredibly safe?

You bet.  Don't believe me?

Ask his wife, Gisele Bundchen, and his sons Benjamin and John.  I'm sure they are glad to have him home safe and sound even as he takes his hits on Sunday as the premier quarterback in the NFL.

Dr. Frank Ryan Car Accident - Learning From His Tragedy

I'll be honest.  I never heard of Dr. Frank Ryan, a Hollywood plastic surgeon, until his tragic motor vehicle accident recently.  Clients included actress Heidi Montag and boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

Although the California Highway Patrol investigation is not complete, rumors have suggested that Dr. Ryan might have been text messaging when driving.  If this is true and a well-trained intelligent doctor can fall prey to allure of technology, then what does it mean for the rest of us?

First, realize that we can't multitask.  You have one brain. You can focus at one task at a time.  Though laws allow hands-free cellphone calls, the issue isn't trying to dial the phone but rather that the mind is engaged in the conversation and not on the road.  Yes, we are all increasingly busy, but we can't multitask.  In fact, researchers have found that it takes more time and effort to re-focus when we are distracted from one task to the other.

So have a hard and fast rule.  The cell phone is off when driving.  You don't need to answer phone calls when doing something important; that is what voice mail is for.  The FAA requires airline pilots to follow the sterile cockpit concept for flight under 10,000 feet when communications is restricted to essential communications.  Failure to abide to this regulation was thought to play a role in the Continential Connection Airlines crash in Feburary 2009 near Buffalo, NY. 

It should be obvious that the same goes for text messaging.

Also, get a safe car.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates cars annually for crashworthiness.  Some reports indicated that Dr. Ryan was driving a 1995 Jeep Wrangler when it ran off the Pacific Coast Highway.  For Jeep Wrangler years 1997 to 2006, the crashworthiness for frontal offset impact was deemed acceptable.  There was no safety rating for roof integrity.  There is no data for 1995.

All vehicles even built by the same manufacturer and same model can differ based on the year.  Not all Jeep models received good or acceptable ratings for frontal offset impact.  Both Cherokee and Grand Cherokee year 1997 to 2001 and 1996 to 2004 respectively received a marginal rating, just one step better than poor.  However, the 2011 Grand Cherokee was rated a best pick for safety and received a good rating for frontal offset and roof integrity.

Obviously a Grand Cherokee isn't quite as fun to drive in Malibu but may have been safer.

Clearly, Dr. Ryan died too early.  Even though famous for his Hollywood clientle, he also did a lot of important charitable work for those who didn't have as much.  The fact that they won't have his services in the future is the real tragedy.

Cellphones Kill, Just Not With Radiation

San Francisco recently passed a law requiring disclosure to consumers of the amount of radiation emitted by cellphones at the point of sale. Research has been inconclusive on whether there is a linkage between cellphone usage and cancer. More definitive findings could be years away.

Understandably the law addresses a universal concern that we all have. We are more fearful of threats that we can't see, smell, hear, taste, or touch. Radon, carbon monoxide, and radiation fit these criteria.

Yet, cellphones kill in other ways which are far more immediate, equally as subtle, and just as concerning. This silent epidemic is increasing at an alarming rate. Everyone sees it, but does nothing about it.

Cellphones and driving don't mix. Cellphones and walking is probably not a good idea either.

When talking on a cellphone or even a telephone, the user is completely engaged, hooked, and oblivious to any other information or sensory input. Although as a nation we pride ourselves on our productivity, our technology, our lack of sleep, and our ability to multitask, the truth is no one can multitask even though we think we can. Walk up to someone talking on the phone and ask them a question. What do they do? Typically he gestures you to hold on to your question with a raised hand as he focuses on the telephone conversation.

If he can't talk to you at the same time while standing still, then is it safe talking on the cellphone and driving or even crossing the street?

Not surprisingly the answer is no.

A report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 6 in 10 adults talked on cellphones while driving, nearly half of adults were riding in a car when the driver was either talking on the cellphone or text messaging, and 44 percent felt unsafe when riding in the car. Aside from driving, 1 in 6 adults actually bumped into something or someone when talking or texting on a cellphone.

It is clear from the study that more people are putting their lives and yours at risk. Although I rarely use my cellphone, I'm not immune from this epidemic.

Just the other day when driving my daughter to her reading class as I was making a left turn from the designated turn lane, a bright yellow pick-up truck at a high rate of speed ran the red light which had been up for a couple of seconds.

Fortunately, I had stopped before entering the intersection and slammed on my horn to alert the driver of the near miss.

She was on her cellphone. Fully engaged. Completely oblivious to what could have happened. No flicker of acknowledgement that she even heard my car horn.

In other words, it is very likely my small sedan would have been unable to withstand a head-on or side impact collision from a pick-up truck. I shutter to think what might have happened that Sunday morning on Father Day's.

Had police officers responded to the accident scene, the driver invariably would have said, "I don't remember seeing a red light. I don't remember seeing a car in the intersection."

The irony is that she would have been completely right.

She would have walked away unharmed. Very likely clueless that her simple act of talking killed two people. Free to repeat the behavior again.

Do yourself a favor and make sure you are not someone who is a dangerous driver. Make your car a cellphone free zone. Turn it off before entering the vehicle. If you must take a call, then pull off the lane like you would when allowing fire trucks and ambulances the right of way. Even more importantly be very alert for distracted drivers on cellphones. Sixty percent of drivers may be in this group and unfortunately the number will only increase. Hands free devices make no difference in improving safety. The brain and user is fully hooked to the conversation and unable to see beyond the call.

Look both ways before crossing the street when walking or driving into an intersection. Boring, basic, and even more necessary.

As for me, I think I might be able to find a Hummer for cheap.

New Year's Resolution - Don't Multitask. We Can't Do It. It Could Kill You.

I've been fighting pretty hard to avoid the temptation to multitask. I plan to do so again this year. People who claim to multitask are viewed with awe. Attaining the skill is a badge of honor. In a society that is increasingly 24 /7 where demands from work, family, and friends seems endless and the opportunities to be connected are more, how can a person survive if they simply do one task at a time?

Simple. Research suggests that the person who single tasks actually does better work, focuses better, and is productive.

Oh and it might save your life.

The term multitasking became part of our language a few years ago when single tasked computers running DOS (remember them?) could now run multiple programs or tasks at the same time in multiple windows. The computer could download a program off the internet, play music, and let you type up term paper simultaneously in Microsoft Word. Initally, however, that was just an illusion. Computers in the past only had one processor or one brain. It gave the perception of multitasking by switching from one of the three above tasks so fast that it gave the impression of doing everything at the same time. Today many if not most computers have multiple computer processors or more than one brain and each can be dedicated and focused to the task at hand.

While we all might want the ability to multitask, the truth is we can't really do two cognitive tasks at the same time. Ever notice when you try to talk to someone on the phone she either lifts a finger to say what a minute or cups the receiver, stops the phone conversation, and then addresses your presence? It's because we can only do one task at a time.

Don't believe me? Still think you can multitask?

Next time, when while you are in conversation with a friend do this simple math problem, take 311 and divide by 113. You can't either keep up with your friend without stopping, pausing, and thinking or you need to stop doing the math if you are engaged in talking. In other words you can't be fully conscious of doing two things simultaneously. You move from one task to the other much like single processor computers. The difference is we don't and can't switch as fast as the brains in our PCs.

So how might avoiding multitasking save your life?

Don't talk on the cellphone when driving or text message. Ever.

Many laws missed the point about hands free driving with cell phone usage. It isn't about the hands being off the steering wheel. The problem is that the brain is engrossed in conversation. Although the foot is on the accelerator and the eyes do see the road and cars ahead, the brain isn't fully cognizant of what is going on. It can't respond should something happen.

Sadly, examples from the news make this painfully clear.

A recent Los Angeles Times article found that a Metrolink commuter train ran a red light. This is particularly worrisome as on September 12th 2008, Metrolink had the worst accident in its history when a crash killed 25 people and injured 135. Investigators believe that in the latter case, the engineer had been text messaging and ran a red light. These trains can travel as fast as 90 miles per hour or 132 feet per second. Or 44 yards per second nearly half the length of a football field! Stopping at that speed requires over half a mile or a little more than two laps around a typical high school track.

In October, Northwest airline pilots missed landing at Minneapolis by 150 miles. They denied being asleep but using their laptops and trying to get their scheduling software to work. The merger between the airlines Northwest and Delta also caused some system flaws that prevented communications between air traffic control and the pilots. Radio contact was not established for over one hour. At the typical cruising speed of over 500 miles per hour for the Airbus A320 even a small five minute distraction can result in flying over 40 miles.

How might these stories apply to you and more importantly save your life?

As I note in my book, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among people age one to thirty-four and the third leading cause among forty-five to fifty-four-year olds. The most common cause of unintentional injuries is motor vehicle accidents. This was before the cell phones and text messaging was as mainstream as it is now.

Driving at 60 miles per hour or about 1 mile per minute you cover 5280 feet per minute or 1760 yards. 17 football field lengths.

10 second distraction? 293 yards. 3 football fields.

Any text message worth it? Phone call?

Unlikely. A Virgina Tech study found that those text messaging where 23 times more likely to get into a car accident.

Get the word out. Stay focused. That's why this year I'm still staying away from smartphones, using my trusty old cell phone, but leaving it on the off position.

Voluntarily uninsured isn't a calculated risk but a gamble. Can you really afford to lose?

This recent NPR piece on Voluntarily Uninsured: A 'Calculated Risk' got my attention. There are some people who don't buy health insurance. They are healthy. They can afford health insurance. They don't feel the need.

They are wrong.

As a practicing doctor, it is worrisome to hear people are voluntarily uninsured because of a false belief. Having good health is highly unpredictable. Children develop cancer without having a family history or adequate time to assault their bodies with cigarettes or alcohol. Women with healthy pregnancies may need a crash C-section, which is far more expensive than a vaginal delivery. Too many people are injured from motor vehicle accidents requiring significant medical care. Non-smokers do develop lung cancer and the astronomical costs of chemotherapy.

Good health is somewhat unpredictable the same way the chances of you getting into a car accident is a crap shoot.

Assume you are an excellent driver. Never speed. Never had a traffic violation. In fact, you abide by the rules and recommendations to stay safe that other drivers honk you incessantly when you drive 25 miles an hour in a residential area and that even the police department flags you down when going 55 miles an hour on the highway because it is such an anomaly. Your passengers groan when you buckle up simply to move your car from the street into the driveway.

A drunk driver seriously injures you on your way home from work.

You did everything right and yet there you are. An accident occurred and no fault of your own.

At least you have auto insurance and can get some of the costs back.

Serious car accident or serious illness. While we have some control, in many cases it is out of our hands. In other words, while we can decrease risk by staying healthy, as a doctor I see too many times people getting seriously ill with no definable cause. Voluntarily uninsured is not calculated risk but rather a gamble. It's a gamble none of us can afford to lose because of a misconception.

As the subject in this NPR article finally admitted in the end, serious illness could bankrupt her and cause her to lose her business. She is seeking some catastrophic insurance. In the end, some insurance is better than none.