How Emerging Apps Aim to Save Lives

More than 250,000 people in the United States die each year from medical accidents, making it the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer, according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins.

Meanwhile, nearly 40,000 Americans die each year in car crashes, according to the IIHS. Although many are attributable to driver error, most of them could be avoided or at least mitigated with better technology.

The trend is similar in other industries: consumers and employees face unacceptable security risks from outdated or inadequate technology. Often the old ways are just too dangerous for modern standards.

Fortunately, a new generation of emerging technologies is reshaping the landscape. They improve safety conditions not only in transport and healthcare, but also in sports, construction and many other industries. Some are available for download from major app stores. Others are more specialized but still freely available to people and businesses looking for them. Still others are still in development but look set to hit the market soon.

Here's how they're making workplaces - and the world - safer for everyone.

The sports industry is fun, entertaining, exhilarating and often dangerous. Most people who have played competitive sports, even at the high school or college level, know firsthand what it is like to be injured in practice or in a game.

It's unlikely we'll eliminate them completely, at least not anytime soon. But new technologies are reducing the frequency and severity of more serious sports injuries and illnesses, such as concussions and heatstroke.

Smart helmets are now on the verge of being released. The top prize at the 2019 Yahoo Sports Technology Awards went to a sensor-laden equestrian helmet. The sensors continuously measure and signal the pressure and impact force. The helmet can also be equipped with communication technology to alert emergency services of potential injury to the wearer. It's likely we'll see similar technology in helmets worn by cyclists, climbers, and American football players in the years to come.

In the meantime, apps that track on-field weather conditions are being used to protect athletes who train and play outdoors. For example, the Zelus WBGT application measures the exterior