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Re-activateHow many times have you come to a "rolling" rather than a full stop at a stop sign, driven over the speed limit, or gone biking without a helmet? Too often, if you're like many of the folks surveyed recently by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Of the 1,000 Americans asked about risky behaviors, 50 percent often or occasionally fail to come to full stop, 69 percent sometimes drive 10 miles-per-hour over the speed limit on highways and 58 percent of cyclists fail to wear a helmet while riding a bike.
We know we can be nannyish at times but the statistics back us up. For example, 92 percent of bicyclists killed in 2007 reportedly weren't wearing a helmet, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which notes that helmet use has been estimated to reduce risk of head injury by 85 percent.
In a report on the survey in the February issue of Consumer Reports, the editors highlight the things people do that they shouldn't (text while driving, leave items on the stairs) and the things they don't do that they should (unplug toasters, use hearing protection while mowing). To see where you fit in with those surveyed, read the full report.
Next month, we'll write about the results from the second half of the risky-behavior survey. (Sneak preview: Too many of you are putting cotton swabs inside your ears.)
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