How do we stop trauma epidemic?

A trucker falls asleep at the wheel and veers off the interstate. An elderly homeowner trips over a phone cord and falls down her stairs.

We call these tragedies. And they are.

People also often call these “accidents.”

Are they? We don’t think so. When we look at the big picture of traumatic injury and death in Montana, we see patterns that can’t be random.

Is it an accident that the overall rate of unintentional injury death in Montana has steadily increased since 1994? Is it just bad luck that, as of 2009, Montana ranked third worst in the nation for the number of deaths caused by unintentional injury?

To chalk up those statistics to mere chance is to ignore reality. Traumatic injuries and deaths in Montana have identifiable causes, established methods of effective treatment and defined methods of prevention.

Trauma is like a disease in those respects. And it has reached epidemic levels in Montana. Among Montanans aged 1–44, trauma is the leading cause of death. Among Native Americans in our state, the injury death rate is three times the national norm. Montana has the third-highest workplace injury rate in the nation.

Montanans should not be complacent about these statistics. May is National Trauma Awareness Month, and there is no better time than the present to address this issue.

Unfortunately, there’s no single cause or simple solution for Montana’s trauma epidemic.

Motor vehicle crashes remain the most common cause of unintentional injury deaths in Montana, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control. Every Montanan has a role to play in addressing the so-called “three D’s” of dangerous driving: Drinking/Drugs, Distraction and Drowsiness.

Montana’s rate of fatal automobile crashes involving an impaired driver was nearly three times the national rate over a 10-year period ending in 2012. We can all help address this problem by offering rides to friends who are impaired, calling a cab for people we observe who are drunk, and not getting behind the wheel ourselves if we are impaired.

Even if you don’t drink alcohol you may engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel. For example, too many people continue to treat seat belts as optional. If all Montanans buckled up every time they get into a car, dozens of lives would be saved every year.

Distracted driving is another growing cause of serious crashes. Pull over if you need to text, talk on the phone or adjust the stereo. And if you’re sleepy, pull over (or don’t get behind the wheel in the first place). Your life may depend on it.

You may have seen advertisements referencing the Montana Department of Transportation’s Vision Zero campaign. MDT has a clear goal when it comes to motor vehicle crashes in Montana: zero deaths and serious injuries.

It will take a concerted effort by all Montanans to achieve that vision.

It’s not just on the roads where Montanans face risks of serious trauma. Falls are the leading cause of injury and traumatic death among Montanans over age 65; falls are also the second-leading cause of serious workplace injury and deaths. Poisonings (often resulting from unintentional overdose of prescription or over-the-counter drugs) are the second-leading cause of injury deaths among people age 15–64 in Montana. Suffocation and drowning are leading causes of death for children under age 5.

Prevention is key to breaking the cycle of unintentional injury.

For example, if you have an infant educate yourself on recommended crib preparation to minimize risk of suffocation; use infant and child safety seats; and don’t leave a toddler unattended during bath time, even for a minute.

For your own safety, take a moment to properly dispose of outdated or unneeded medications. (Google “Operation Medicine Cabinet” to find a drug take-back location near you.) Especially if you are of retirement age or older, take a fresh look at your familiar surroundings — your house, your garage, your workspace — to assess fall hazards such as uneven floors and area rugs, exposed cords and poorly lit stairwells.

These precautions have proven outcomes. Yet in our busy lives they can be easy to forget. With a bit of prevention, we can turn the tide of Montana’s trauma epidemic.

Tooley is director of the Montana Department of Transportation. Opper is director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.