The study links the lack of a COVID-19 vaccine to an increased risk of car crashes

Science has a way of showing actual facts and connecting dots that you may have never seen connected. For example, who would have thought to find a connection between people who decided to transfer the COVID-19 vaccination and traffic accidents? A recent study published in American Journal of Medicine Shares the science behind such a link that already exists.

In the study, Canadian researchers examined more than 11 million COVID-19 vaccine records, of individuals over the age of 18, who would be licensed, from different socioeconomic and health backgrounds. Of these 11 million, 16 percent (1,760,000) have not been vaccinated. The researchers then looked at the records and identified unvaccinated individuals who might have traffic-related illnesses such as dementia, diabetes, sleep apnea and alcohol abuse – and then looked at the traffic accident side. Those situations included incidents that sent patients to the emergency room, time and day, ambulance involvement and ‘triage severity score’.

Taking all of these criteria into account, the researchers were able to determine that individuals who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine were more likely to have traffic accidents. But that wasn’t because of the vaccine. The link actually comes down to the risks associated with decision-making—regarding decisions about vaccination, as well as compliance (or non-compliance) with traffic laws.

Of course, this does not mean that if you don’t get a shot you will get into or cause a traffic accident. The link doesn’t work that way. However, the researchers concluded that if an individual is reluctant or unwilling to “protect themselves” with the vaccine, those same people likely don’t care about traffic laws. And the data is there to back it up.

of the unvaccinated, 72 percent They were more likely to be involved in a serious car accident. Those numbers looked worse when the study noted that the ratio was “similar to the relative risks associated with sleep apnea” but still not as bad as it was for those who abused alcohol. But the risk remains, so much so that the study said the risk “exceeds the safety gains from recent advances in automotive engineering and also poses risks to other road users.”

One thing the study acknowledged is that “correlation does not imply causation.” The study did not attempt to investigate whether or not there was a link between not getting the vaccine and reckless driving. But the study authors speculated.

One possibility relates to distrust of government or belief in liberty that contributes to both vaccination preferences and increased risk of passage. A different explanation may be misconceptions about everyday dangers, belief in natural protection, antipathy towards regulation, chronic poverty, exposure to misinformation, insufficient resources, or other personal beliefs. Alternative factors could include political identity, negative past experiences, limited health literacy, or social networks that lead to skepticism about public health guidelines. These subjective unknowns remain topics for further research.”

If you want to know more, you can read more about the study and its findings over here.