Don’t chat, and don’t text while driving, advises the Pennsylvania Medical Society. Many of our emergency medicine physicians see the consequences of carelessness each and every day. One of our greatest concerns is the use of cell phones while driving. That kind of distraction can be deadly when you are behind the wheel.
If you can’t disconnect long enough to get from point A to point B, don’t drive. And if you do drive, don’t use your phone. It’s that simple. And if you absolutely have to make a call or send a text, pull off the road into a safe area, be done with it, and get back on the road.
Please give driving your full attention. Young drivers have enough challenges when they get behind the wheel, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the US.
- Each year, more than 5,000 teens (ages 16-20) are killed in passenger vehicle crashes.
- During 2006, a teen died in a traffic crash an average of once every hour on weekends and nearly once every two hours during the week.
- Nationally in 2006, 4,842 teen passenger vehicle occupants (ages 16-20) were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and 58 percent (2,813) were unrestrained at the time of the fatal crash.
Don’t bust your health for the buzz. Energy drinks contain excessive caffeine, which has been linked to elevated heart rates, hypertension, anxiety, headaches, and interrupted sleep patterns. Some brands warn that they're not for use by individuals with a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, caffeine-sensitivity, glaucoma, and other ailments. Some don’t warn you at all. So if you don’t know your family’s health history, stay away from energy drinks.
Athletes need to be especially careful. If you drink an energy drink because you’re hot, you’re defeating the purpose. Not only does caffeine raise your heart rate, it’s a diuretic. You’re likely to go to the bathroom more often, which is a problem in the middle of any sporting event. And you may think you are getting hydrated, but instead you're getting dehydrated. And that’s extremely dangerous.
Need a boost? Try these energy drink alternatives: low fat milk; water, but not flavored waters-try lemon and honey or mint leaves in water; diluted fruit juice; or vegetable juice. And whatever you do, don’t mix energy drinks with alcohol—it can be a lethal combination.
Get more information about the dangers of energy drinks.