Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Why are there So Many Freak Accidents on Independence Day?
A quick flip through the news from this weekend reveals the following:
- Two dozen people were injured and one killed by stampeding horses at a parade in Iowa.
- A Litchfield, Illinois man was killed in a glider accident.
- In Santa Clarita, California, a woman was killed and several others injured when a car ran a red light, collided with another vehicle and careened into a crowd of fireworks spectators.
- A man died in a jet ski crash on Waneta Lake in Wisconsin.
- A boy in Molalla, Oregon was run over by a parade float.
- A girl in Platte City, Missouri was injured when a bowl of "black eyed pea" fireworks exploded.
- A platform at the Aspen ski resort gave way and sent five people tumbling down. Two were injured.
- A firework at a professional display in Palmyra, Pennsylvania misfired and went into a crowd of spectators.
- A man in Long Island blew his arm off with illegal fireworks.
- A boat crash on Lake Pleasant in Arizona killed one and injured four.
- A deck collapsed in Alabama, killing one and injuring six.
- In San Juan, County, New Mexico, two were killed and three injured in a shooting.
The short answer is that Independence Day is not inherently dangerous, any more than Easter or Flag Day or Arbor Day or, for that matter, next Tuesday. There is no mystical force at work causing mayhem on the 4th of July, and chances are that in other countries there are no more problems on July 4th than on any other day. We are, however, more likely to associate accidental deaths on the holiday with the holiday, rather than with the fact that a certain number of accidents happen every day.
In addition, the way Americans choose to commemorate the holiday contributes to a spike in accidents. There are a number of factors that make July 4th the perfect day to have something unusual happen, and lend themselves to certain types of problems that aren't as common on other days.
Factor #1: Crowds
We tend to pay more attention to incidents that involve large numbers of people. Not surprisingly, this type of incident can only happen when there are large numbers of people together. Parades, fireworks and other large celebrations draw big groups of people, increasing the chances that an accident that affects more than one or two people will happen. Crowds of people are also heavy, increasing the number of accidents caused by whatever they are standing on collapsing.
Factor #2: Explosives
Things that explode are inherently dangerous. People who work with things that explode are more likely to be injured. People who don't know what they are doing with things that explode are particularly at risk. On July 4, our tradition of fireworks lends itself to accidents, particularly among amateurs.
Factor #3: Nice Weather and a Day Off
Summer weather and a day off from work means that people are taking part in recreation activities that are not as common other times, such as jet skiing, boating and hang gliding. The more people there are doing these things, the more chances there are for an accident. Looking at it another way, you will note that boating accidents are relatively unusual on Christmas, and skating accidents are rare on July 4.
Factor #4: Alcohol
People drink on the 4th of July, and anything that can go wrong is more likely to go wrong when alcohol is involved.
Factor #5: Children
This is a family holiday, and we encourage children to participate in a big way. Any accident involving a child gets our attention, and the more kids there are out and about, particularly around fireworks, boats, crowds and adults drinking alcohol, the more chances a kid will be hurt.
So, what should you do on July 4th? Does it make sense to stay home and hide? That depends on what you mean by sense. Staying home and hiding is often, but not always, the safest thing to do. It also greatly reduces your quality of life. We all choose to do things that are riskier than that. On July 4th, we all choose to do them all at once. A little common sense about fireworks, keeping an eye on the kids and keeping alcohol consumption down could go a long way to keeping everyone safe.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Horses Rampage at a July 4th Parade
Twenty-four people were injured and one killed yesterday at the Bellevue, Iowa, Independence Day parade when two horses pulling a carriage in the parade trampled onlookers. It appears that the horses bumped heads and the bridle came off of one, spooking the horses and spurring the stampede. The dead woman is Janet Steines, the wife of the carriage driver and a passenger, who was thrown when the carriage collided with a street sign. Four people remain hospitalized. Many of the injured were children who were picking up tossed candy in the street.
Yesterday, I myself was in a July 4th parade here in Ann Arbor. I walked alongside a school bus and tossed candy with some colleagues, while various kids and adults rode the bus and threw candy from the windows. A gemtleman from the local chapter of the Jaycees, the sponsoring organization, told us several times that the bus riders were tossing candy too close to the bus and encouraged us to throw it over, not at the crowd. Frankly, we thought he was sort of annoying, although I did see a child or two dart too close to the bus to retrieve some candy and worried about a low-speed crash.
July 4th parades are one of those "supposed to be" events. They're supposed to be fun. They're supposed to wholesome. They're supposed to be safe. We all believe those things and don't really question them. We feel the same way about July 4th fireworks, or at least about the official, professional fireworks displays. Anyone who lives with a small child has spent lots of time reassuring them that the fireworks are loud, but they won't hurt you. The horses are big, but they're friendly. This is all good fun.
On July 3rd, if I had asked you or, for that matter, the people of Bellevue, Iowa, whether it was remotely possible that horses in the Independence Day parade would bolt and injure someone, you and they would have said yes, it was possible. You also would have said it was possible that a firework from a professional display would misfire into a crowd of people, but not terribly likely (it did, in Palmyra, Pennsylvania) or that a child would be hit by a schoolbus (this, thankfully, did not happen). But unless someone asked you about it, you wouldn't have thought much about it. Life is full of dangers we don't choose to think about. Their likelihood seems so remote.
Here's the interesting thing. Next July 4th, if you go to a parade that has horses, it is possible that you will think back to this incident and feel a little anxious. We would consider it truly out of proportion, however, for most adults to be so nervous in such a situation that they couldn't attend such a parade. On the other hand, if you're from Bellevue and witnessed yesterday's incident, you would get a pass if the horses scared you. And yet, it is no more likely for a horse to trample spectators in Bellevue than in New York or Ann Arbor or Atlanta.
So why is it OK for people in Bellevue to be more worried? Basically, because we recognize that people who have not experienced a trauma tend to somewhat underestimate its likelihood, and people who have experienced one tend to overestimate it. If we're kind, compassionate people we leave space for that overestimation, recognizing it as a typical stress reaction, and expect it to diminish, but perhaps not go away, over time.
Coming up tomorrow: Why there seem to be so many freak accidents on Independence Day. Check back!
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Meet the Quarterback
- Naomi Zikmund-Fisher
- is a clinical social worker, former school Principal and a Crisis Consultant for schools and community organizations. You can learn more about her at www.SchoolCrisisConsultant.com
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