Roadway death and injury: why everyone should care and what you can do to reduce risk | Mark Rosekind, Ph.D.

Peter Attia

Mar 25, 2024

Episode description

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content

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.

We discuss:

Mark’s background and education, and the profound impact of transportation accidents on human lives [4:15];
From sleep science to safety leadership: Mark’s journey in transportation innovation [14:15];
Stats on transportation accidents and fatalities [18:00];
Historical trends in road fatalities and the key contributors—impairment, distraction, and more [28:00];
The demographics of drivers involved in crashes, and the life-saving potential of better driver education programs [34:30];
The most critical areas where drivers need to be hyper-aware to protect themselves [41:00];
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];
The dangers of phone use while driving [53:45];
How drunk driving was addressed through advocacy and legal changes [1:01:30];
The need to address distracted driving and the psychological impact of distracted driving accidents on both victims and perpetrators[1:07:15];
Navigating the roads and lowering your risk of accidents

Episode description

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode

Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content

We discuss:

Mark’s background and education, and the profound impact of transportation accidents on human lives [4:15];
From sleep science to safety leadership: Mark’s journey in transportation innovation [14:15];
Stats on transportation accidents and fatalities [18:00];
Historical trends in road fatalities and the key contributors—impairment, distraction, and more [28:00];
The demographics of drivers involved in crashes, and the life-saving potential of better driver education programs [34:30];
The most critical areas where drivers need to be hyper-aware to protect themselves [41:00];
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];
The dangers of phone use while driving [53:45];
How drunk driving was addressed through advocacy and legal changes [1:01:30];
The need to address distracted driving and the psychological impact of distracted driving accidents on both victims and perpetrators[1:07:15];
Navigating the roads and lowering your risk of accidents

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Adopt defensive driving mindset to enhance road safety

A powerful mental model for defensive driving is to imagine that one person on the road today has the specific mission of killing you with their car.

#safety

Address pedestrian safety to combat rising death toll

In the last decade, pedestrian deaths have increased by 50%, with current estimates at around 7,500 deaths per year.

#risk

#safety

Prioritize human error over weather in crash prevention

Environmental factors like weather and road conditions are the final event in only about 2% of crashes, compared to 94% for human error.

#environment

#risk

Address impaired driving to reduce traffic fatalities

For the last 20 years, impaired driving has consistently accounted for about 30% of all traffic fatalities, indicating a lack of progress in this area.

#risk

#safety

Implement technology in new cars to detect drunk driving

Congress has passed a law requiring new cars to be equipped with technology that can detect if a driver is at or above the 0.08 alcohol level.

#alcohol

#device

Avoid hands-free calls to maintain safe driving performance

Talking on a hands-free phone can degrade your driving performance to a level equivalent to having a 0.08 blood alcohol concentration.

#safety

Recognize human choice as primary factor in 94% of crashes

An NHTSA study found that the last event before a crash is a human choice or error 94% of the time, challenging the idea of an inevitable "accident".

#risk

Create clinical videos to educate on fatal accidents

The speaker proposes creating a short, clinical video explaining the human story and causal factors of every fatal accident to better educate the public.

#education

#safety

Peter Attia

A new frontier in neurosurgery: restoring brain function with brain-computer interfaces, advancing glioblastoma care, and new hope for devastating brain diseases | Edward Chang, M.D.

Lower back pain: causes, treatment, and prevention of lower back injuries and pain | Stuart McGill, Ph.D. (#287 rebroadcast)

Understanding anxiety: defining, assessing, and treating health anxiety, OCD, and the spectrum of anxiety disorders | Josh Spitalnick, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

AMA #74: Sugar and sugar substitutes: weight control, metabolic effects, and health trade-offs

How to change your habits: why they form and how to build or break them | Charles Duhigg, M.B.A