February is American Heart Month, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, this month is all about matters of the heart. While every month is about traffic safety here, there are strong connections between caring for both our literal and figurative hearts that can also make us safer drivers.
Preventative Measures
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
– Benjamin Franklin
As of 2022, heart disease, cancer, and preventable injury remain the leading causes of death in the United States. Among preventable injuries, motor vehicle crashes account for 20% of deaths—over 46,000 lives lost each year.
Most leading causes of death are health-related, but all have varying levels of preventative measures that can help reduce, delay, or even reverse their impact. Many of these measures are well-known:
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- More Exercise
- Healthier Diet
- Weight Management
- Stress Reduction
The same concept applies to preventable traffic crashes – small, daily choices can make a difference:
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- Slower Speeds
- Fewer Distractions
- Avoiding Impairment
Changing Habits: A Matter of Motivation
It’s only February, but research suggests that only about 25% of people stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Many of those goals—exercising more, eating better—are based on prevention, just like safe driving habits. Changing behaviors is hard, but motivation can make all the difference.
That’s where Valentine’s Day comes in. While the holiday often focuses on romance, love in all forms is a powerful motivator.
For example, in traffic safety presentations, some adults admit they insist their children wear seat belts but don’t always buckle up themselves. Beyond the “do as I say, not as I do” challenge, I ask them to consider:
- What would their child’s life be like without them?
- How would their loved ones cope if they were seriously injured?
The goal isn’t to guilt anyone but to emphasize that presence matters. Parents, partners, friends, coworkers—lives are interconnected. Whether it’s prioritizing health or safe driving habits, making changes can be hard. But sometimes, doing it for more than just ourselves makes it easier.
This February, let love, health, and prevention guide the choices that protect lives—both on and off the road.
