Injuries can be devastating, so it's essential for men and women to take every precaution. By being super careful, businesses, public locations and states can keep people out of the hospital. According to a new study which aired on Good Morning America, New York and California are the leading states in injury prevention. These states have tougher policies than their counterparts. They will ticket a biker if he forgets his or helmet, and issue serious punishments for drunk driving. The Trust for America's Health (TAH) and the Robert Woodward Foundation contributed to this study and discovered the shocking truth.

The study says that personal injury accidents are the third-leading cause of death. In people ages 4-44, these injuries are the number 1 reason for death, beating out the amount of people taken by fatal illnesses. About 12,000 children and teens die from an injury every single year. Of course, states would want to take every measure possible to reduce the amount of fatalities that come from preventable accidents. The director of the Trust for America's Health told Good Morning America that there are evidence-based strategies showing that states can spare millions of lives per year. The new report outlines these basic strategies and shows Americans how to keep themselves and their families safe.

Within the report, the Trust created detailed map graphs which show the states that have serious personal injury prevention measures and which states have the highest injury-related death rates. While the injury related death rate in New York was only 37.1 per 100,000, and California's was 47.6 per 100,000, states like New Mexico have a staggering injury-related death rate of 97.8 per 100,000. About 50 million Americans are treated for injuries every year and about 9.2 million are rushed to emergency rooms. Around 2.8 million people are hospitalized because of their infliction. In total, preventable injuries cost us about $406 billion a year in medical bills and lost productivity.

According to the TAH, which works hard to prevent epidemics and help people with their safety, there are 10 key indicators that states can make a priority to reduce their injury percentages. Many of these things are basic. Wearing seatbelts when in the car, wearing helmets when riding a bike or motorcycle, and avoiding violent sports where it is likely to get a concussion were just of a few of the many prevention strategies. States with lower injury rates normally police drunk driving, and take prescription and illegal drug abuses seriously. States that take care to protect their citizens from domestic violence also see fewer injuries.

In the research project, professionals found that New York and California were implementing 9 out of the 10 measures to reduce injury. Other states with honor-worthy personal injury policies are Maryland, Oregon, North Carolina and Rhode Island. Montana and Ohio are doing the least to protect their citizens, and are using only 2 of the measures. 29 states don't have any juvenile helmet laws, and 31 states don't enforce helmets for motorcycle riders. As well, 34 states don't require that drunk drivers use ignition interlocks when they are convicted.

The Safe States Alliance told ABC News that if states made more of an effort to work on safety precaution, the amount of people injured every year would drop dramatically. By taking the time and money to enforce safety laws, states are investing in their future, and their efforts will pay off in the number of lives saved and medical costs eliminated. The John Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy says that states should focus on traffic injuries that result from drunk drivers, texting while driving and the misuse of prescription drugs.