- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Traditional Chinese Therapy May Help Ease Eczema
- Spot light on Dani Antman New Lionheart teacher
- Green Tea May Help Brain Cope With Sleep Disorders
- ANIMAL CARE
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- Extra Pounds in Mid-Life Affect Later Mobility
- Too Few Screened for Abdominal Aneurysm, Study Says
- CANCER
- Red Meat No No No But Oily Fish Yes Yes Yes
- To Quit Smoking, Try Logging On
- Many Ignore Symptoms of Bladder Trouble
- CAREGIVING
- Obese Children More Likely to Suffer Lower Body Injuries
- Stressed Health Care Workers Battle 'Compassion Fatigue'
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Gum Disease Treatment Doesn't Cut Preterm Birth Risk
- DIABETES
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
- Exercise Protects Black Women From Type 2 Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say
- Eating in America Still Unhealthy
- Licorice May Block Absorption of Organ Transplant Drug
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Air Pollution Raises Risk of Heart Disease, Death
- Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's
- Arsenic in Drinking Water Raises Diabetes Risk
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Eye Problems, Hearing Loss May Be Linked
- Brain Pressure More Likely to Cause Vision Loss in Men
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- FITNESS
- Will the Wii Keep You Fit?
- After a Stroke, Light Exercise Gets Hands, Arms Working Again
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Olde Time Medicine Therapy May Prevent Alcoholic Relapse
- 6 to 8 Hours of Shut-Eye Is Optimal for Health
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart
- Fewer Heart Attacks After England Goes Smoke-Free
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- Dry Weather Boosts Odds of Flu Outbreaks
- KID'S HEALTH
- Babies Who Eat Fish Lower Eczema Risk
- Keep Safety in Mind While Your Kids Are Cooling Off in the Water
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- Low Iron Levels Cut Cancer Risk in Men With PAD
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Living Alone Increases Odds of Developing Dementia
- Psychotherapy Can Boost Happiness More Than Money
- Keeping a Healthy Holiday Balance
- PREGNANCY
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- SENIORS
- 15-Point Test Gauges Alzheimer's Risk
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Friends, Not Grandkids, Key to Happy Retirement
Hybrid Cars Pose Risk to Blind, Visually Impaired
By eHolistic.com Published: 07/21/2008
MONDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Because they can be nearly silent, hybrid cars pose a serious threat of injury and death to blind and visually impaired people, says the American Council of the Blind, which is pushing the auto industry and government officials to develop ways to reduce this danger.
"Traditionally, people who are blind or visually impaired learn to rely on their hearing and tactile cues to provide them with information about their environment, which they can use to navigate safely across streets and through other vehicular ways, such as parking lots. In so doing, the sound of traffic is their primary focus," Melanie Brunson, council executive director, said in a news release from the council.
"Traffic sounds provide information about such things as the position of vehicles, their direction of travel, their rate of acceleration, and the speed at which they are likely to move. With this information, the pedestrian can make informed decisions about when to cross a street or other vehicular way safely," she said.
Without those sound cues, a blind or visually impaired person is at serious risk.
"Imagine you are a blind person traveling independently with the aid of your cane, something you have done confidently for years," Dr. Ron Millman, chair of the council's public relations committee, said in the news release.
"You are crossing a fairly busy intersection. You listen for sounds of approaching cars. All cars seem stopped. Suddenly, you hear screeching brakes. Too late, you realize a quiet, nearly silent, hybrid car is only a few inches from you. Panic takes over. Every sense of survival says to run, but where? There is not time to escape as you face this horror and possible life-threatening situation."
But this danger isn't limited to blind or visually impaired people, said Dr. Karen Gourgey, a member of the council's environmental access committee.
"Recent studies have shown that even people who are fully sighted use hearing as well as vision to make street crossing decisions, though they may not realize it. And we haven't even mentioned children and older people," Gourgey said in the news release.
The efforts of the council and other advocates for the blind are having an effect. Last week, the U.S. Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration held its first public meeting on the issue.
More information
The American Council for the Blind offers tips on how to help blind people.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: American Council of the Blind, news release, July 2, 2008
Last Updated: July 21, 2008
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