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The world's fattest woman is moving countries after falling out with her doctors in India over her treatment.

Eman Ahmed Abdulati, who weighs 79 stone, is making the perilous journey in a specially adapted plane and is heading for Abu Dhabi in the Middle East.

Doctors in India are refusing to continue treating the half-tonne woman, saying they have fitted a gastric band and now she needs to continue the work on her own at home.

An army of medical experts from Burjeel are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the half-tonne woman who took off late last night.

Eman was discharged from hospital with medics refusing to carry out any further treatment on her following a falling out between Eman's sister Shaimaa Selim and her treating surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala.

Shaimaa Selim said her sister had deteriorated since the operation at the Saifee Hospital in the city of Mumbai in western India's Maharashtra state after the pair flew from their home in the Egyptian city of Alexandria to India after surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala offered to help Ms Abdulati lose weight.

He performed bariatric surgery, which involves fitting a gastric band to reduce the size of her stomach and claimed the operation had helped her lose about 39 stone 7 pounds.

But Ms Selim says the hospital does not even have equipment capable of weighing her and she estimates that her sister has lost no more than 9 stone 6 pounds.

The row rumbled on and caused Ms Selim to seek outside help, with medics form Abu Dhabi stepping forward.

Dr Shajir Gaffar, CEO of VPS Healthcare, Dubai and Northern Emirates and Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery where she is due to be treated, made the trip to India himself to accompany the woman on the flight so he could keep an eye on her heart, due to her weight.

Dr Gaffar said: "At present, we have a team of 15 members of multi-disciplinary approach we are providing for the patient.

"We have aviation doctors, paramedics, logistics support, nurses, they are all on ground here, for her safe medical transportation to the airport from Saifee Hospital.

"Inside the flight there will be five experts accompanying her, including doctors, aviation medicine doctor, senior flight paramedic inside the aircraft."

Eman had previously not left her home in Alexandria, Egypt for 25 years prior to the weight loss trip to India.

Dr Gaffar continued: "Some miscommunication happened between the hospital and patient, and that's when the patient's family contacted us."

Eman is currently being fed a special liquid diet via a feeding tube and cannot speak very well.

This happened when she suffered a stroke in Egypt prior to the surgery.

Sanet said: "She can understand some commands, but she is unable to complete sentences. She's not able to speak words that people can understand, but she can obey commands.

"We have taken into consideration all the risk factors, during flight, that are going hand in hand with medical evacuation of a patient with altitude pressures, which we have taken into consideration."

"Regarding her oxygen levels, we will take care of it. We are well equipped to manage any situations that may arise.

"(Our job is to) insure her health status is improved before we discharge her to her home country, and the support for her family as well.

But getting Eman to the hospital safely is the gravest concern for now, say medics.

Dr Gaffar continued: "As of now I would say health and safety is our priority. We are looking at the safe transportation of the patient, to Abu Dhabi, from here."

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World's fattest woman must move countries on specially adapted plane in perilous journey to get treatment - Mirror.co.uk

JACKSON, MS--(Marketwired - May 05, 2017) - Low-carb diets have been all the rage for a number of years now as means of losing weight fast, but Diet Doc has developed an exclusive new prescription to combat the hazards of carbohydrate overload. Diet Doc Carb Blocker is designed to reduce body fat and prevent excess weight gain by blocking the absorption of carbohydrates and increasing starch excretion. The Diet Doc Carb Blocker has helped our patients reduce body weight and get rid of stubborn abdominal fat once and for all.

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Diet Doc's New Carb Blocker Prescription Reduces Carb Absorption and Targets Belly Fat - Marketwired (press release)

Nigeria Today

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If You Want To Lose Weight, Do It In The Right Way - Nigeria Today

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) - Linda talks with Donna Herberger from The Ideal You Weight Loss Center.

She tells about four different ladies who lost a total of 224.8 pounds and a total of 159 inches.

A woman averaging just 2 pounds per week, in 14 weeks she will be down 35 pounds.

Men lose even more.

Guys lose 3 5 pounds per week.

If a man loses just 3 pounds per week he can be down 50 pounds between June 1st and Labor Day.

The Ideal You Weight Loss Center is WNYs premiere weight loss center which subscribes to the Ideal Protein weight loss protocol.

By meeting with our dieters with weekly, private consultations, every client of The Ideal You Weight Loss Center is closely monitored, counseled, and held accountable!

Every week dieters weigh-in and we (literally) measure their inches lost and pounds lost to keep them focused and ensure their weight loss goals!

Originally posted here:
The Ideal You Weight Loss Center - WKBW-TV

The weather is warming up, and bathing suit season is fast approaching. Even if your furry friend will not be strutting her stuff in a bikini, keeping a healthy weight is very important for the dog in your life.

Statistics show that more than 50 percent of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight. Just like in humans, obesity in dogs predisposes them to many health conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes and pancreatitis. We even can see respiratory issues in the short-nosed breeds. Studies confirm that overweight animals develop serious disease or die an average of 1.5 years before their ideal-weight counterparts.

What constitutes an obese dog? This varies tremendously (as do dogs) and there is no specific BMI calculation, as there is for people.

One easy test for owners to apply at home is, Can you feel his ribs? In general, if you can find your dogs ribs easily, but not see them, youre on the right track. Your veterinarian uses a body-scoring system and can give you a more specific number, but you can get a quick idea the next time you pet Fido. As little as 1 to 2 pounds can thickly cover the ribs in a small dog.

The best way to avoid obesity is to monitor weight closely from the beginning. Overweight puppies often become overweight adults, and it is much easier to maintain a healthy weight than to lose it later.

Ask your veterinarian about the appropriate volume of food for your puppy, as well as when to transition to an adult food. We do not want to underfeed a growing animal, but it is easy for your dog to gain weight on a high-calorie puppy food, especially once he or she is neutered or spayed.

What can you do if your pet is already overweight? Just as in people, weight loss occurs when calories burned exceeds calories taken in. This means controlling the diet and increasing exercise.

It is important to remember that exercise alone is rarely sufficient. True weight loss requires reducing the calories your dog is consuming. A healthy weight-loss plan is most safely done under the guidance of your veterinarian. First, you must have an accurate measure of all the food and treats your pet gets every day. (And dont forget any human food you give or that your dog helpfully cleans off the carpet for you.) Bring this information, as well as labels of your diet, to your veterinarian. He or she will calculate the calories your pet needs daily and then help formulate a plan for weight loss.

Initially we aim for 1 to 2 percent weight loss per week. Sometimes, all that is necessary is reducing treats or swapping out large or high-calorie treats (like bacon jerky) for smaller, lower-calorie ones. Many dogs are perfectly happy with baby carrots, a piece of their own kibble or mini rice cakes for treats.

If decreasing food volume is also necessary, we have to be careful that your pet is still getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals needed for normal bodily functions. In some situations, your dog may even need a prescription weight-loss diet (as opposed to an over-the-counter lite diet). There are several advantages to a prescription diet, but mainly they decrease calories while making sure the body is getting enough nutrition so that your furry friend isnt acting hungry all the time. Your veterinarian will work with you to pick the right one for your specific pet.

Once the weight starts dropping, you can increase doggie exercise. That may include lengthening your daily walks a little at a time, or more playtime with balls or other toys.

So take a serious moment right now to feel for Fidos ribs and, if they are hard to find, trust your veterinarian to help you with a weight-loss plan and regular follow-ups. Once Fido reaches his goal, you can re-formulate the plan for maintenance and enjoy bathing suit season with your healthier pet.

Dr. Emily Whitmore works at Albemarle Veterinary Health Care Center on Westfield Road, which is an AAFP Certified Feline Friendly Practice. Her veterinary interests include preventative medicine, soft tissue surgery and training to be a certified veterinary acupuncturist. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and then relaxing with her hound mix, Kona.

For Pets Sake

For Pets Sake is written by the members of the Jefferson Area Veterinary Medical Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and wellbeing of all area pets. Visit javma.net for more pet health information, or to find the perfect veterinarian for your pet.

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For Pets' Sake: Preventing canine obesity is easier than solving it later - The Daily Progress

VAPING e-cigarettes could trigger deadly allergic reactions and chemical asthma, experts have warned.

Ingredients used to flavour e-liquids could aggravate the bodys immune system.

Getty Images

An allergic reaction usually happens within a few minutes of exposure to an allergen the compound that a person is allergic to.

Most mild reactions can cause symptoms including sneezing, red and itchy eyes, wheezing and coughing and a rash or worsening of asthma and eczema symptoms.

But, severe reactions can also occur, and are called anaphylaxis a medical emergency that can prove life-threatening.

Experts say flavourings are an important part of the vaping experience.

But, some contain ingredients that act as allergens.

Dr Sandra Costigan, principal toxicologist at British American Tobacco, explained the most common type of allergy is caused by the skin coming into contact with an allergen.

Less common is a respiratory allergic reaction or chemical asthma.

Although respiratory allergy is much less common than skin allergy, the potential adverse effects are much more severe, Dr Costigan said.

Inhaling allergens over a long period of time can lead to symptoms ranging from mild breathing difficulties to fatal anaphylaxis.

To address the risk, researchers at British American Tobacco, have designed new guidelines.

There is no official rules or restrictions in Europe or the US, with regards to allergies and e-cigs.

Getty Images

British American Tobacco launched their first e-cig brand Vype in 2013, and now sell the devices across the world.

Dr Costigan said: No two people have the same immune response, which is why it is important to tell people about allergens in a product even if all your data says most people shouldnt experience a problem.

With regards to skin allergens, Dr Costigans team said any known allergen must be labelled as an ingredient if it is present at 0.1 per cent concentration or higher.

Wed recommend against using cocoa extract in an e-liquid. The risks just arent worth the benefits

Thats the case even if it is found that it can be used safely at higher concentrations.

The scientists said this will help those consumers who already know they are sensitive to certain ingredients, and help them avoid potentially dangerous e-liquids.

To test respiratory allergens, the researchers used a cocoa extract commonly used in e-liquids as a case study.

They found when something is suspected as a respiratory allergen, the concentration at which it could be used safely is too low for the ingredient to provide any flavour.

Getty Images

Wed recommend against using cocoa extract in an e-liquid, said Dr Costigan.

The risks just arent worth the benefits.

She said all known respiratory allergens should be left out of e-liquids, to be safe.

In addition to skin and respiratory allergens, food allergens can also pose a risk.

Any food allergens included as ingredients should be well labelled, Dr Costigans team concluded.

On May 21, new laws in the UK come into full force restricting the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

NEW vaping laws are set to come into force next month restricting the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids.

The new guidelines include:

A wealth of scientific research has explored the health benefits and dangers of the devices, which are becoming increasingly popular. E-cigarettes were designed to help smokers quit their deadly habit, and are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular fags.

The NHS agrees vaping is better for a smokers health than regular tobacco.

Public Health Englands independent review, published in 2015, found e-cigs are around 95 per cent safer than smoking.

The devices allow a vaper to inhale nicotine, without taking in the other harmful substances in tobacco.

But the health service also warns, e-cigs are not completely risk free.

Various scientific studies have shown they could cause damage to the lungs, be as dangerous to the heart as smoking, and increase the risk of severe strokes.

Alamy

And other studies have warned they are a gateway to smoking, encouraging a new generation of smokers, getting them hooked on the highly addictive substance, nicotine.

Earlier this year, public health experts in Wales called for flavoured e-liquids to be banned to stop young kids developing a taste for the potentially dangerous devices.

Sweetie flavours, such as bubblegum, strawberry and chocolate, encourage youngsters to try the devices, they argue.

But, leading charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Independent British Vape Trade Association said flavoured liquids play an important role in encouraging smokers to quit.

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Could you be ALLERGIC to your e-cigarette? Vaping 'could cause deadly reactions and chemical asthma' - The Sun

12:00 Wednesday 03 May 2017

An Alford mum who is afraid of heights is to take on a wing walk for charity, while her five-year-old son with no money to sponsor her has chosen to complete a mini-triathlon for the same cause.

Deborah Whitehead, 35, will face her fear on the wings of a biplane in June in support of the local branch of the When You Wish Upon A Star childrens charity.

Her five-year-old son, Finley, wanted to sponsor her for her sky-high effort, but with no money to do so decided to launch an intrepid fundraiser of his own to run alongside his mums.

Finleys idea was to cycle across the Humber Bridge and then walk back across it, but this, with the help of family, has now evolved into a triathlon to include a 50m swim at Southview Leisure Park, in Skegness although Finley has been toying with the idea of completing the swimming section in the Humber.

Maybe when hes older, joked Deborah.

Deborah said she was very proud of Finley for wanting to support her in this way, in particular, of understanding that not all children are as fortunate as others.

Finley said he was looking forward to the challenge in particular, the cycling, saying: I like biking. I like pedalling.

Deborah was inspired to launch her fundraiser after seeing Wish Upon A Star appeal for wing walkers, describing it as something she has always wanted to do.

As an additional challenge to facing her fear, she is having to lose two stone to come safely under the weight limit for the flight and, with the support of Slimming World, has lost 8 lb so far.

Of deciding to take on a wing walk in the face of her acrophobia, she said: I think I have got to the age now where you have got to face your fears and get out and do it, she said.

You can donate to Deborah at http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Deborah-Whitehead35

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Boy, 5, from Alford uses pedal power to support daredevil mum - Skegness Standard

The regimen not only ended the constant vomiting, but the San Jose mother can now finally eat an entire cheeseburger - and keep it down.

"The medical field frowns on pregnant women using marijuana," said the 27-year-old bookkeeper, who lost 30 pounds early on in her pregnancy because of her condition, called hyperemesis gravidarum, which also causes dehydration.

"But I possibly would not have kept the pregnancy without it," said Richelle, who is now in her 25th week and asked that her last name not be used because she does not want to be publicly attacked for her beliefs.

After two decades of allowing its medicinal use, California is now one of eight states that have legalized recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. Public health officials, however, say the implications surrounding its consumption by some people - like pregnant women and adolescents, who may be more vulnerable to its potential harmful effects - still must be addressed.

Some states - including Alaska, Washington and Colorado - require warning labels saying the product should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women. But California does not.

Surveys show that most Americans don't like the idea of pregnant women using marijuana.

A Yahoo News/Marist College poll of 1,222 adults released this month found that 67 percent of Americans think it's safer to use marijuana than opioids to relieve pain. But 69 percent said it's not acceptable for pregnant women to use marijuana to reduce nausea or pain. Half of cannabis users - and 60 percent of those who have tried it - also don't think pregnant women should use marijuana, according to the poll.

Dr. Ira Chasnoff, a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a leading researcher in the development of children prenatally exposed to alcohol and drugs, said a range of studies supports those concerns.

"The general belief is that it's not harmful," Chasnoff said of cannabis consumption. "But there are all sorts of aspects of cognitive function - the way the brain works - that are impacted by marijuana exposure."

He pointed to research that shows low birth rates in babies born to women who have consumed pot during pregnancy, as well as data on higher rates of Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as they get older. Other research has shown that those offspring later in life have problems with "executive functioning," or the ability to plan and complete tasks, Chasnoff said.

That's why he believes guidelines that communicate the risk and discourage the use of medical marijuana by pregnant women - or women considering pregnancy - must be established. Research indicates that more U.S. women are now using marijuana during pregnancy, most often to treat morning sickness - which most physicians say can be better treated with more established medications.

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association said that in 2014 nearly 4 percent of pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 44 reported having used marijuana in the past month, compared with 2.4 percent in 2002.

In Oakland, 36-year-old Sarah - who runs a cannabis consulting business with her husband _ said she has been using the drug during her 17-week pregnancy to help not only with morning sickness but also with sciatica pain and mood swings.

Like Richelle, she takes a few puffs of a marijuana cigarette every so often, but also uses a few drops of liquid cannabis on her tongue at night. The pain disappears, she said, and she's able to keep food in her stomach.

She has read a host of studies on the potential side effects the drug might have on her baby. So have some of her relatives, who have told her that using marijuana will "risk having my child come out dumb," said Sarah, who also said she didn't want her last name published because she fears she'll be ostracized.

But she remains unconvinced by what she calls "limited research." And she says that she doubts that an organically grown plant could harm her baby.

A landmark 395-page study on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids released in January by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine also wasn't able to draw many conclusions.

After reviewing the available research, the authors determined that the long-term effects of smoking cannabis during pregnancy are still unclear. But they did agree that there is substantial evidence that the babies of women who smoke marijuana while pregnant have lower birth weights.

Sarah says she doesn't abuse the drug but believes it helps to reduce the anxiety that comes with being pregnant. "There is a human inside me growing, and everyone is telling me what I can and cannot do," she said. "It creates a lot of worry."

And in her line of work, she has also met many women who used marijuana when they were pregnant and whose children - of all ages - seem well-adjusted.

"Everything in moderation," Sarah said.

Chasnoff strongly disagrees with that view - and with patients who tell him that cannabis is natural and organic. That doesn't mean it can't potentially harm a fetus, he said.

"We know that marijuana's THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) crosses very readily from the blood into the brain, so even a small amount has the potential for crossing over into the fetal brain," Chasnoff said.

The chemical is drawn to fat, he said, and because the fetal brain is almost all fat, the drug remains there longer. It's one reason why marijuana, unlike other drugs, can be detected in a person for three days to three weeks afterward, depending on the amount and concentration of cannabis consumed.

Marijuana also crosses readily into a mother's breast milk, said Chasnoff, adding: "We have been able to measure the level of marijuana in the baby's urine."

Dr. Frank Lucido, a primary care physician in Berkeley who for two decades has recommended medical marijuana to his adult patients if he determines it will benefit them, doesn't believe there is enough significant research to warrant pregnant women avoiding cannabis.

"With anything in medicine, you weigh the benefits and the risks," said the 69-year-old physician. "Nobody has ever died from cannabis, but we know women die from hyperemesis gravidarum."

So if a pregnant patient is unable to keep food or liquids in her stomach, and marijuana would help, then he would advise it - as he does to perhaps one or two patients each year.

"But I usually discourage it (smoking marijuana) because we don't know - and smoking can cause low birth weight," Lucido said. "And maybe smoking (the drug) is the problem."

Continue reading here:
Cannabis quandary: Can pregnant women safely consume marijuana? - Duluth News Tribune

New Book on Sugar Addiction and Losing Weight is Released Today by Kathy Heshelow. The Book Reveals Shocking Facts About Sugar Addiction, and How to Tackle the Issue.

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) May 02, 2017

Today, a new book written by author Kathy Heshelow appears on Amazon. Entitled "Break Sugar Cravings or Addiction, Feel Full, Lose Weight: An Astonishing Essential Oil Method", the book offers a solution to a serious problem.

"I reveal some interesting and shocking facts about sugar, and cite research from experts in the field which are evidence-based," says Heshelow.

"1 in 11 of every American has diabetes today, and much of this is tied to sugar consumption," says Heshelow, also founder of Sublime Naturals and Sublime Beauty. "Sugar consumption is up dramatically - even grossly so - over the last hundred year, and much of it is hidden in foods."

The book is especially meant for those who find they have sugar cravings; for those who are overweight and are trying to lose weight; and those who eat even when they are full. It can definitely help those who find they cant stop eating sweets. The natural method discussed is one to help get the situation under control - naturally.

A bonus offer is given in the front of the book as well, offering tools to help tackle the issues.

Find the new book on Amazon here, and see Heshelow's other books on Amazon here.

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A New Book is Released Today, Entitled "Break Sugar Cravings or Addiction, Feel Full, Lose Weight" by Amazon Best ... - PR Web (press...

The scene on Interstate 5 near Griffith Park last week Tuesday resembled a war zone: six crumpled cars scattered across lanes of traffic on both sides of the freeway, two pinned beneath other vehicles, the twisted wreckage of two burning big rigs and lines of gridlocked cars stretching for miles in either direction.

Ten people were injured and one was killed when a heavy truck traveling northbound on I-5 near Griffith Park swerved out of its lane and smashed through the median barrier into oncoming traffic, colliding with a tanker truck heading southbound and exploding into flames.

The California Highway Patrol is still investigating what caused the big rig to lose control. Did a car hit or cut off the truck before it careened through traffic, as some witnesses recounted?

The fiery destruction of the I-5 crash is all too familiar for Corona resident Tami Friedrich Trakh. For months she would drive on the Interstate 10 in Claremont near the Indian Hill Boulevard exit and pass a crumpled metal guardrail and blackened stretch of road.

Both served as haunting reminders of the night that changed her life.

Two days after Christmas in 1989 on the I-10, Trakh's sister,Kris Ann Mercurio, brother-in-law, niece and nephew were returning from the Ontario airport following a family trip to Idaho.Trakh was driving a few miles behind.

Up ahead, the brakes on a gasoline tanker truck failed and its wheels locked. The massive tanker skidded across the freeway, overturning its trailer and spinning around its cab so it faced oncoming traffic.

"The lights were shining in her eyes," said Trakh. Her sister tried to swerve around the illuminated cab but her car couldn't avoid the darkened trailer. The car and tanker, full of 1,100 gallons of gasoline, exploded into flames.

Mercurio and her family died. The tanker truck driver survived.

In Southern California, tens of thousands of big commercial trucks whether called tractor-trailers, tankers, semis or 18-wheelers crawl and barrel along congested freeways every day. Crashes involving these vehicles, which can weigh as much as 40 tons, are the deadliest and costliest, and they are on the rise, creeping up faster than collisions involving only cars.

Southern California is especially vulnerable to truck collisions because of its commerce: Los Angeles-Long Beach ranks as thebusiest port complex in the nation and the warehouse business in the Inland Empire is thriving. Every day, heavy trucks accumulate more than 8 million miles on its labyrinth of regional freeways.

The number of trucks on the roads has only increased as the economy has recovered, and after falling sharply during the recession, truck-involved crashes have been rising. They have also jumped as a share of all crashes on the road, according to a KPCC analysis of California Highway Patrol data.

In 2009, truck collisions hit a historic low, making up just 4.8 percent of all crashes in the state. That number steadily climbed to 5.6 percent by 2014, the most recent year data is available, when there were 22,137 such collisions in California.

While the majority of fatal truck crashes occur at higher speeds on rural roads, the congested freeways of Southern California present their own dangers. The stopping distance required of the largest trucks at 55 miles per hour, more than twice the length of a football field is space that's hard to come by on crowded highways.

The hazards are exacerbated at freeway interchanges, which tend to be hotspots for crashes in the region. Cars and trucks must jockey to change lanes, often in a short amount of space. KPCC found lane changes were the top-cited cause of truck crashes in Southern California over the period from 2002 to 2014.

Within the five-county Southern California area covering Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura Counties, the 5 freeway saw the highest number of crashes between 2010 and 2014, followed by the 10 and 60 freeways.

What makes truck collisions especially alarming is the heavy toll they can take.

On July 13, 2013, a gasoline tanker truck traveling in a tunnel on the interchange between the 5 and 2 freeways in Elysian Valley near downtown L.A. crashed into the guard rail when its tire blew out. The tanker spilled more than 8,500 gallons of gasoline, igniting a fire that burned for hours and sending burning rivers of fuel down storm drains into the L.A. River. Flames shot up 40 feet into the air.

The fire shut down parts of the 5 and 2 freeways for days and closed the interchange for six months while crews worked to repair the tunnel. With several inches of concrete burned down to the rebar on pylons that support the 5 freeway, the reconstruction cost $16.5 million.

Truck-related collisions cost an average of $7 million for the most serious crashes involving the largest trucks, based on federal estimates of medical costs, emergency services, property damage and lost productivity. The average fatal car crash costs $1.4 million.

Most critically, truck crashes can exact a high human toll. While the driver in the 2013 crash at the 5 and 2 freeway interchange survived and there were no other injuries, truck collisions are twice as likely to result in loss of life as crashes involving only cars. Truck crashes have a fatality rate of 1 percent compared to 0.5 percent for all vehicle crashes in general.

Logically, the passengers of smaller vehicles are more at risk in these crashes. According to 2015 data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the most recent information on record, 97 percent of those killed in truck-car crashes that year were occupants of the passenger vehicle.

On May 13, 2015, a driver of a semi-truck carrying a forklift blew a tire and lost control of the vehicle while driving southbound on the 57 freeway in Fullerton. The truck hit a car, burst through the center divider and sent both vehicles into oncoming traffic. The truck then collided head on with a second car, killing its driver.

The forklift that the semi was carrying was thrown into the air and collided with three other cars. Seven people were sent to the hospital with injuries.

Scroll over the chart to see share of truck collisions for each year.

In congested urban areas such as Southern California, truck crashes can also cause excruciatinglylong traffic delays. When trucks overturn, they can block multiple lanes and take hours to clear. Last week's I-5 crash held up traffic for eight hours.

Fear of driving near large trucks looms large for Southern Californians, some of whom complained to KPCC in a survey that big rigs can often obstruct their view and make exiting the freeway difficult. Many sense that truck traffic has increased in areas where they drive.

"It's not your imagination," said Genevieve Giuliano, a professor of urban planning and director of the METRANS Transportation Center at the University of Southern California, who has extensively studied truck traffic and crash risks.

She said as Southern California emerged from the recession and gas prices have remained low, traffic congestion and crashes in general have increased across the region. Additionally, the ports have seen more trade, sending more trucks loaded with goods onto the highways.

An analysis of federal data by the Brookings Institution shows truck traffic in urban areas has grown faster than passenger car traffic since 1990, and Giuliano projects that trend will continue over the next 20 years.

But she said that doesn't have to mean the roads will inevitably grow more dangerous, so long as truck traffic is properly managed with strict industry regulation like the measures Tami Trakh has advocated.

Since the day of her sister's crash, Trakh has become active in efforts to improve truck safety.

She serves as a board member for CRASH, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, volunteers with the Truck Safety Coalition and is on theMotor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She pushes for policies that she hopes will prevent the types of crashes that devastated her family in 1989.

Today, Trakh stays as far away from large trucks as possible.

"You just have to give them good distance," she said. "I dont usually drive the slow lanes of the freeway because of it."

But on a recent weekday evening in congested rush hour traffic, they were hard to avoid. As Trakh and I traveled west along I-10, two massive trucks sandwiched our car between them.

"I've seen trucks with retread tires on them, I've seen trucks with wheels almost falling off," said Trakh. "If its safe, I try to alert them. Or, if not, I call it in because another familys gonna go through what my family went through if I don't try to do something."

A multitude of factors can cause truck-involved collisions, such as those related to the driver performance, vehicle equipment and roadway design.

The majority of crashes involve some kind of human error, either on the part of the truck driver, the driver of the passenger car or both. Unsafe speed, by either driver, is the top-cited cause of crashes where driver factors play a role. Distraction and fatigue are also common problems.

Under the Obama administration, the federal government imposed stricter rules about the number of hours truck drivers are allowed to work, and the rest time required before they return to the road.

Beginning this December, commercial trucks will be required to adopt digital logs so that the recording of those hours can't be tampered with. The goal is to prevent drivers from becoming overtired or falling asleep while driving.

Such regulations, however, are in the cross-hairs of some in Washington.

In late 2016, Republicans in Congress struck a requirement that drivers take their rest period between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The rule, created during the Obama administration and which had not yet taken effect, proved deeply unpopular among truck drivers. They called it arbitrary, and said it could force them to take two full days off from driving if they didn't reach their destination by 1 a.m., or force them to pull over the truck in an unsafe location.

The Department of TransportationOffice of Inspector General also concluded,based on a DOT study, that the nighttime rest periods failed to result in a net benefit for driver safety and health.

Many safety advocates are wary of the new political climate under President Donald Trump and the potential for the Republican controlled government to roll back more regulations on an industry that has donated heavily to its members.

According to theCenter for Responsive Politics,donations to national campaigns from organizations and political action committees associated with the trucking industry have totaled more than $40 million over the last 10 years, with more than 75 percent of that going to Republican candidates. Trucking-related companies spent more than $100 million on lobbying during the same period.

"Truck safety issues should be nonpartisan," Trakh said. "It affects everyone and commonsense regulations should remain in place."

Trakh and the organizations she works with would like to see more requirements for trucks, among them: the addition of side underride guards and stronger rear underride guards that can prevent passenger cars from sliding under trucks in a collision. Trakh also advocates for speed limiters to slow vehicles to safe levels and automatic emergency braking systems to prevent crashes.

Trucking industry representatives, such as the national American Trucking Associations, have expressed support for some of those safety measure, like the speed limiters and auto-braking systems.

But the trade group believes safety requirements should apply as well to passenger cars: they advocate a universal 65 mile per hour speed limit. They also argue such measures should benefit the public and the industry, while "imposing a minimal burden on commerce."

Rudy Quiroz, an instructor at Dootson's School of Trucking in Arcadia,has been long-haul driving for more than two decades and wants to see efforts to improve safety on the roads include passenger vehicle drivers.

"Take a ride with a trucker and you'll see what's really happening," said Quiroz.

He said the focus on trucks and their drivers ignores an important fact: it's frequently the drivers of passenger vehicles, as he calls them "four-wheelers," who are at fault in these crashes.

Research bears that out, including one studyconducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute for the Federal Highway Administration.

The two-year study of more than 8,000 fatal collisions found that truck drivers were at fault to some degree in about 27 percent of the crashes, while the passenger car drivers were found to have some fault in 81 percent of those collisions.

Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for fatal truck crashes in 2015 shows truck drivers had some fault in about 33 percent of fatal crashes. Drivers of passenger vehicles were at fault 59 percent of the time.

"People need to realize that trucks are dangerous. You cant be cutting them off, you cant be braking in front of them because the results can be pretty bad," Quiroz said.

Heavy trucks need several car lengths' distance in front of them to stop. The California Driver Handbookwarns: "The average passenger vehicle traveling at 55 mph can stop within 400 feet. However, a large truck traveling at the same speed can take almost 800 feet to stop."

"They dont understand that were not being nice keeping that space. We need it so we dont hurt anyone," Quiroz said.

He would like to see more training required of all drivers to better understand how to drive around trucks. Quiroz takes the task of driving deadly seriously, knowing that just one mistake could end his career, or his life or that of others. He wants car drivers to feel the same.

"Truck drivers drive. People who drive cars? Seems like they aim them, they dont drive them," he said. "They're like weapons."

There may be no better illustration of the challenges facing SoCal drivers than the interchange of the 57 and 60 freeways in southeastern Los Angeles County. There, the geography forces 17 lanes to condense into 14 with half the distance to merge than is standard for freeways.

The two miles of the confluence have been labeled the worst spot for truck traffic and crashes in California by the American Transportation Research Institute and the sixth worst in the nation.

Local officials and the California Department of Transportation have been leading efforts to redesign the interchange and install improvements, but the project has only secured a fraction of the funds needed to complete construction, which is still about $200 million short.

Republican Congressman Ed Royce, who serves the area, has been pushing for more federal funds to complete the project. But not every interchange can be redesigned.

Both Giuliano and Trakh are optimistic that advances in automotive technology could make roads safer, although there are technical and regulatory issues still to be worked out.

Meanwhile, Giuliano thinks assisted truck driving systems and driver monitoring technology could greatly improve safety on the roads, provided passenger vehicles adopt them at the same pace.

Until such advances are widespread, all drivers should continue to give big rigs a wide berth, safety advocates advise.

"I try to give them plenty of room and I respect their size, and their weight and the drivers themselves," said Trakh.

Think you know how to safely drive around trucks? Take our KPCC quiz. Still have questions? "Ask A Trucker" just submit your query below. We'll put them to our experts.

Link:
Big rigs, big risks: As SoCal economy improves, truck traffic is rising and so are crashes - 89.3 KPCC

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