Stay safe when you’re on the go

Today’s theme for National Public Health Week is about protecting ourselves while we’re on the move. Prevention is the key to staying safe while traveling from one place to another.

Bike safety

BCM expert Dr. John Rogers speaks to bike safety tips, which is especially useful now, as the weather is starting to warm up. He provides a few guidelines for staying safe while biking:

• Helmets are always a must
• Elbow and knee pads are recommended for skateboarding or rollerblading
• Usually, minor injuries such as a scraped knee won’t require a trip to the emergency room. But if there’s more bleeding than you think there should be, impaired movement, or excessive pain, then you might want to call your physician.

Don’t drive drowsy

Studies show that driving while you’re sleep deprived can be just as dangerous – and sometimes even more unsafe – than driving while under the influence of alcohol.

According to Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, associate professor of medicine – pulmonary at Baylor College of Medicine, some effects of sleep deprivation that interfere with driving ability include:

• Slowed motor or mental ability
• Lapses in attention
• Memory problems
• Confusion and impaired judgment

Drowsy drivers are also at risk of falling asleep while driving. If you notice you’re starting to feel tired when on the road, you can:

• Pull over and take a short power nap for about 15-20 minutes
• Pull over and do stretches or exercises for a few minutes
• If driving with another passenger, opt to drive in shifts
• Drink caffeinated beverages

These tips are just quick fixes, though – if you’re on the road and are too drowsy to drive, then the safest thing to do is pull over. When preparing for a road trip, make sure to get enough sleep the night before to avoid drowsy driving!

How do you make sure you stay safe while you’re on the go?