Latest news with #LSHTM
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Newsweek
Parents Charged After Son Was Killed While Crossing Road
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The parents of a seven-year-old boy who died after he was hit by an SUV have been charged with involuntary manslaughter over their child's death. The boy was crossing the street in Gastonia, North Carolina, with his 10-year-old sibling at a point without a crosswalk, when he was hit by an SUV driven by a 76-year-old female. The boy died of his injuries four hours later. The Gastonia Police Department has been contacted via email for comment. Jessica Ivey (left) and Samuele Jenkins (right). Jessica Ivey (left) and Samuele Jenkins (right). Gastonia Police Deptartment Why It Matters Police said in post on Facebook that in such cases adults "must be held accountable." Public opinion on the charges appears to be split, some people taking to social media to praise the police department, and others saying that parents cannot be expected to look out for their children every second of the day. What To Know Parents, Jessica Ivey, 30, and Samuele Jenkins, 31, have been charged by the Gastonia Police Department with felony child neglect, and misdemeanor child neglect, as well as involuntary manslaughter. The driver of the vehicle involved is not being charged at this time. Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, officers arrived at the scene of a traffic collision to find a 7-year-old child had been struck by a Jeep Cherokee. The child, who has not been named by police, had life-threatening injuries and was first taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center and then to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he died. Police have said there is no evidence that the driver was speeding or that she committed wrongdoing, so she is not being charged at this time. Both parents are now each on $1.5 million bail and were being held at Gaston County Jail. Appealing for witnesses, Gastonia Police Department's Traffic Division said the driver continues to be cooperative and the incident remains under active investigation. A study into the risks posed by cars to pedestrians conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London found that children are 82 percent more likely to be killed or seriously injured when hit by an SUV or a light truck vehicle than a smaller car. What People Are Saying Gastonia Police Department on Facebook: "While the Gastonia Police Department offers its deepest sympathies to the family for the heartbreaking loss of their child, the investigation revealed that the children involved were unsupervised at the time the boy stepped into traffic. In such cases, adults must be held accountable for their responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for their children." Elsa Robinson, an MSc Public Health student at LSHTM, told Carwow: "These larger vehicles are particularly dangerous for children, especially young children. Children are shorter in height and more vulnerable to being hit in critical areas such as the head or chest by a tall car's front end." What Happens Next Both parents are awaiting a pretrial hearing.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
UK ‘the sick person of the wealthy world' amid increase in deaths from drugs and violence
The UK is becoming 'the sick person of the wealthy world' because of the growing number of people dying from drugs, suicide and violence, research has found. Death rates among under-50s in the UK have got worse in recent years compared with many other rich countries, an international study shows. While mortality from cancer and heart disease has decreased, the number of deaths from injuries, accidents and poisonings has gone up, and got much worse for use of illicit drugs. The trends mean Britain is increasingly out of step with other well-off nations, most of which have had improvements in the numbers of people dying from such causes. The increase in drug-related deaths has been so dramatic that the rate of them occuring in the UK was three times higher in 2019 – among both sexes – than the median of 21 other countries studied. The findings are contained in a report by the Health Foundation thinktank, based on an in-depth study of health and death patterns in the 22 nations by academics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). 'The UK's health is fraying,' they concluded. The UK's rising mortality is especially evident among people of working age, aged 25 to 49. Deaths among women that age rose by 46% and among men by 31%, between 1990 and 2023. In contrast, mortality has fallen in 19 of the 21 other countries studied, with only the US and Canada showing the same rise as the UK. Britain now has the fourth highest overall female mortality and sixth highest overall male mortality rate among the 22 nations. The US topped both league tables. Jennifer Dixon, the Health Foundation's chief executive, said: 'This report is a health check we can't afford to ignore – and the diagnosis is grim. 'The UK is becoming the sick person of the wealthy world, especially for people of working age. While other nations moved forward, we stalled – and in some areas slipped badly behind.' Dixon pointed out the improvement in UK death rates since 1990 slowed significantly during the 2010s, with the austerity policies pursued by the coalition government after 2010 a significant factor. Smoking, alcohol misuse and bad diet also help explain Britain's increasingly sick population. By 2023, women in the UK had a 14% higher death rate than the median in the other countries, while among men of all ages it was 9%. Prof David Leon, who led the research at LSHTM, said: 'What is particularly disturbing about our findings is that the risk of dying among adults in the prime of life – those who have not yet got to the age of 50 – has been increasing in the UK for over a decade, while in most other countries it has declined. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'This is shocking as most mortality between the ages of 25 and 49 years is in principle avoidable.' Office for National Statistics figures show that 5,448 people died as a result of drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023 – 11% up on the year before and the highest figure since records began in 1993. The rate of such deaths in 2023 – 93 per million population – was double the 43.5 per 100,000 that occurred as recently as 2012, which underlines the sharp increase in drug mortality. Mortality due to suicide has also risen but alcohol-related deaths plateaued for women and fell for men between 2009 and 2019, the thinktank found. The Local Government Association and WithYou, a drugs charity, called for the government to make it easier for drug users, people close to them and health professionals to access and use naloxone, an emergency antidote to overdoses involving heroin, methadone and other drugs. Robin Pollard, WithYou's head of policy and influencing, said: 'We also know getting people into structured treatment is critical to reduce the numbers of drug deaths, and so we continue to call for easier access to higher-quality opiate substitution treatment.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Every death from the misuse of drugs is a tragedy. This government is committed to reducing drug-related deaths and supporting more people into recovery to live healthier, longer lives. We remain on high alert to emerging drug threats, including from synthetic opioids.' In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
The National
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Young children 'twice as likely to die if hit by SUV than standard car'
Young children are more than twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) compared with an ordinary passenger car, a study has found. Pedestrians and cyclists were 44 per cent more likely to die if hit by an SUV, rising to 82 per cent for children and 130 per cent for under 10s, the analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London showed. Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions over the past 35 years. They compared the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians or cyclists struck by standard cars with 'light truck' vehicles (LTVs), which include SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for 54 per cent of the cars sold globally last year, an increase of three percentage points on the previous year, according to GlobalData. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The study highlighted previous research indicating a key reason for the increased risk from SUVs is that they have a taller front end, which means a person is struck higher on their body. This means an adult is hit in the pelvis rather than the knees, while a child is struck on the head, not the pelvis. A blunter front ends also means a person is more likely to be thrown forward, which could result in the vehicle hitting them a second time or rolling over their body, the report added. Researchers analysed 24 studies, including 16 from the US, with others from countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. The authors estimate the proportion of car crashes involving an SUV is about 20 per cent in Europe and 45 per cent in the US. If all SUVs were replaced by standard cars, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in car crashes would decrease by an estimated 8 per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US, they said. When looking at the likelihood of fatal or serious injury, as compared to slight injury, the likelihood increased by about a quarter (odds 24 per cent higher in adults and 28 per cent higher in children) for those hit by an SUV or LTV. These effects were similar for both pedestrians and cyclists. A number of cities worldwide have recently introduced, or are considering, policies that discourage the use of such large vehicles. Parisians voted to triple parking costs for SUVs but that was due mainly to pollution concerns rather than safety. Milan has introduced a congestion charge, which is also being considered by Toronto. Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: 'Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars. Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net-zero goals. 'Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts. 'Cities and countries around the world are starting to introduce measures to discourage the use of these large vehicles, and our study strengthens the road safety rationale for this.' The research is published in the journal Injury Prevention. Tanya Braun, of UK charity Living Streets, said: 'It's clear that SUVs make people, especially children, less safe while walking on our streets. 'Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured in England every day and every one of those deaths is a tragedy. We urgently need more measures to protect pedestrians. 'We're urging the government to invest in active travel infrastructure and safe zones around schools that are proven to help keep children safe from vehicles like SUVs.'
The National
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Study reveals SUV design major factor in increased road fatalities
Young children are more than twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) compared with an ordinary passenger car, a study has found. Pedestrians and cyclists were 44 per cent more likely to die if hit by an SUV, rising to 82 per cent for children and 130 per cent for under 10s, the analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London showed. Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions over the past 35 years. They compared the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians or cyclists struck by standard cars with 'light truck' vehicles (LTVs), which include SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for 54 per cent of the cars sold globally last year, an increase of three percentage points on the previous year, according to GlobalData. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The study highlighted previous research indicating a key reason for the increased risk from SUVs is that they have a taller front end, which means a person is struck higher on their body. This means an adult is hit in the pelvis rather than the knees, while a child is struck on the head, not the pelvis. A blunter front ends also means a person is more likely to be thrown forward, which could result in the vehicle hitting them a second time or rolling over their body, the report added. Researchers analysed 24 studies, including 16 from the US, with others from countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. The authors estimate the proportion of car crashes involving an SUV is about 20 per cent in Europe and 45 per cent in the US. If all SUVs were replaced by standard cars, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in car crashes would decrease by an estimated 8 per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US, they said. When looking at the likelihood of fatal or serious injury, as compared to slight injury, the likelihood increased by about a quarter (odds 24 per cent higher in adults and 28 per cent higher in children) for those hit by an SUV or LTV. These effects were similar for both pedestrians and cyclists. A number of cities worldwide have recently introduced, or are considering, policies that discourage the use of such large vehicles. Parisians voted to triple parking costs for SUVs but that was due mainly to pollution concerns rather than safety. Milan has introduced a congestion charge, which is also being considered by Toronto. Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: 'Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars. Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net-zero goals. 'Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts. 'Cities and countries around the world are starting to introduce measures to discourage the use of these large vehicles, and our study strengthens the road safety rationale for this.' The research is published in the journal Injury Prevention. Tanya Braun, of UK charity Living Streets, said: 'It's clear that SUVs make people, especially children, less safe while walking on our streets. 'Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured in England every day and every one of those deaths is a tragedy. We urgently need more measures to protect pedestrians. 'We're urging the government to invest in active travel infrastructure and safe zones around schools that are proven to help keep children safe from vehicles like SUVs.'
The National
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Young children twice as likely to die if hit by SUV than standard car
Young children are more than twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a sports utility vehicle (SUV) compared with an ordinary passenger car, a study has found. Pedestrians and cyclists were 44 per cent more likely to die if hit by an SUV, rising to 82 per cent for children and 130 per cent for under 10s, the analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London showed. Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions over the past 35 years. They compared the severity of injuries suffered by pedestrians or cyclists struck by standard cars with 'light truck' vehicles (LTVs), which include SUVs, small vans and pick-up trucks. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for 54 per cent of the cars sold globally in 2024, an increase of three percentage points on the previous year, according to GlobalData. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The study highlighted previous research indicating a key reason for the increased risk from SUVs is that they have a taller front end, which means a person is struck higher on their body. This means an adult is hit in the pelvis rather than the knees, while a child is struck on the head, not the pelvis. A blunter front ends also means a person is more likely to be thrown forward, which could result in the vehicle hitting them a second time or rolling over their body, the report added. Researchers analysed 24 studies, including 16 from the US, with others from countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. The authors estimate the proportion of car crashes involving an SUV is about 20 per cent in Europe and 45 per cent in the US. If all SUVs were replaced by standard cars, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in car crashes would decrease by an estimated 8 per cent in Europe and 17 per cent in the US, they said. When looking at the likelihood of fatal or serious injury, as compared to slight injury, the likelihood increased by about a quarter (odds 24 per cent higher in adults and 28 per cent higher in children) for those hit by an SUV or LTV. These effects were similar for both pedestrians and cyclists. A number of cities worldwide have recently introduced, or are currently considering, policies that discourage the use of such large vehicles. Parisians voted to triple parking costs for SUVs but that was due mainly to pollution concerns rather than safety. Milan has introduced a congestion charge, which is also being considered by Toronto. Anna Goodman, assistant professor at the LSHTM and senior author of the study, said: 'Around the world, we have seen a huge increase in the sale of ever-larger cars. Previous research has found that this trend is substantially undermining progress towards net-zero goals. 'Similarly, our findings indicate that this proliferation of larger vehicles threatens to undermine all the road safety gains being made on other fronts. 'Cities and countries around the world are starting to introduce measures to discourage the use of these large vehicles, and our study strengthens the road safety rationale for this.' The research is published in the journal Injury Prevention. Tanya Braun, of UK charity Living Streets, said: 'It's clear that SUVs make people, especially children, less safe while walking on our streets. 'Nearly 50 child pedestrians are killed or injured in England every day and every one of those deaths is a tragedy. We urgently need more measures to protect pedestrians. 'We're urging the government to invest in active travel infrastructure and safe zones around schools that are proven to help keep children safe from vehicles like SUVs.'
