FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com OCTOBER 22, 2015 • WELLNESS • The Courier sun 19 wellness s KEEP TEENS SAFE ON THE ROAD No one starts their day anticipating getting into a car crash. But it only takes one time to be riding in a vehicle without buckling up for a life to be changed forever. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. Fatalities are split almost equally between teen drivers and passengers. In half of all fatal crashes, the teen was not wearing a seatbelt. A recent study found that one in four teens say they don’t use a seat belt on every ride. The report, “Teens in Cars,” released by Safe Kids Worldwide, and funded as part of a $2 million grant from the General Motors Foundation, surveyed 1,000 teens ages 13 to 19. The report looked at why teens don’t always buckle up, how often they text or talk on the phone while driving, and what they do when they feel unsafe in a car. The top reasons teens gave for not buckling up were that they forgot or it was not a habit, they were not going far, or the seat belt was not comfortable. Asked why other teens don’t buckle up, one in three teens said that going to a party was a reason. Another eye-opening finding from the report is that thirty-nine percent of teens said they have ridden with a teen driver who was texting, and 95 percent said they think other teens have ridden with drivers who were texting. Teens who don’t always use seat belts are also more likely to report that they text while driving than those who say they wear a seat belt every time. About 43 percent of teens reported riding as a passenger with a teen driver who was talking on a phone. A few more surprising results include: • More than half of teens said they have seen a parent talking on the phone while driving, and 28 percent have been riding in a car with a parent who was texting. • Forty-nine percent of teens felt concerned for their safety when riding with a teen driver and 31 percent of teens said they felt unsafe with a parent driving. •When asked what teens did in a situation when in a car with someone driving dangerously, four in 10 teens said they asked the driver to stop, but almost the same number said they did nothing. Safe Kids Worldwide recommends these three tips for parents of teens to remember while riding in cars: • Buckle up on every ride, every time. This is important for everyone, both drivers and passengers. Make buckling up a habit starting when kids are young. • Be a good role model in all your driving habits. Teens often model their behavior from their parents, and they’ve been watching their parents in cars since they were infants. So if parents are putting phones down and buckling up on every ride, then teens may be more likely to do the same. • Talk to teens and kids about ways to speak up if a driver of any age isn’t driving safely. Visit safekids.org to learn more about teens in cars and other child safety tips. Courtesy BPT INCREASE YOUR HEALTH BENEFITS, NOT YOUR COSTS The Healthfirst Increased Benefits Plan (HMO) With this Medicare Advantage plan, you could pay as little as $0 for better benefits than Medicare—if you currently receive Extra Help. Call to enroll or set up an in-person meeting! 1-855-725-3341 (TTY 1-888-542-3821) 7 days a week, 8am-8pm. Visit www.YourHFIBP.org Managed Health, Inc., dba Healthfirst Medicare Plan, offers HMO plans that contract with the Federal Government. Enrollment in Healthfirst Medicare Plan depends on contract renewal. The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description, of benefits. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits may change on January 1 of each year. Premiums, copays, coinsurance, and deductibles may vary based on the level of Extra Help you receive. Please contact the plan for further details. This information is available for free in other languages. Please call our Member Services number at 1-888-260-1010, TTY number 1-888-542-3821, 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm. Esta información está disponible en forma gratuita en otros idiomas. Por favor, comuníquese con nuestro número de Servicios a los Miembros al 1-888-260-1010, o al 1-888-867-4132 para los usuarios de TTY, los 7 días de la semana, de 8:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m. © 2015 HF Management Services, LLC. NYMED00939 H3359_MKT16_32 Accepted 09202015
SC10222015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above