Summer Safety Tips

Helmet Use and Bike Safety – Summer@Safety and the Case of the Mystery Hair Do

· Head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle/motor-vehicle related crashes. Wearing a helmet is one of the best ways to lower your risk of head injury and death in crash. Studies show bicycle helmets reduce the risk of serious head injuries by 85-88%.

· 23% of elementary school-age bicyclists, 14% of secondary school-age bicyclists, and 58% of adult bicyclists wear helmets (2007).

· 92% of bicyclists killed in crashes were not wearing a helmet.

· Tip: A helmet is the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury. A helmet should sit on top of the head in a level position, and should not rock forward, backward, or side to side. The helmet strap should always be buckled. When using other wheeled objects such as scooters, Wiggle cars, skate boards and so forth a proper helmet should be worn.

· Wear a helmet to protect your thinker!

Car Seats, booster seats, and seat belts – Summer@Safety and the Case of the Battle of the Belts

· Correctly used car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.

· In Utah, people who were unrestrained were 31 times more likely to die in a crash than those who were restrained.

· Tip: We know that when adults wear seat belts, kids are more likely to be buckled up. So be a good example and buckle up for every ride. Be sure everyone in the vehicle buckles up, too.

· Love ‘Em, Buckle ‘Em!

Spot the Tot – Summer@Safety and the Case of I Seem to be Seeing Spots before My Eyes

· Each year in Utah, an average of 64 children under age 10 are struck or run over and 4 are killed by a motor vehicle on private property.

· In more than half the deaths the driver was a family member of the victim.

· Tip: With nice weather here children play outside. Before you get in the car, walk all the way around the parked vehicle to make sure children are not under, beside, or behind it. Properly supervise young children when a vehicle will be moving – Spot the Tot!

· Shoes don’t wear out with a quick walk around the car!

Never Leave Your Child Alone in the Car – Summer@Safety and the Case of Can Someone Turn Down the Heat in Here

· Between 1998 and 2011, nearly 525 children died as a result of being left alone in a car.

· When left in a hot vehicle, a child’s body temperature can increase three to five times as fast as an adult’s.

· Your car’s internal temperature can increase by 19 degrees Fahrenheit in only 10 minutes.

· Tip: Never leave your child alone in the car, not even for a minute and make sure to lock your vehicle, including doors and trunk when you’re not using it. Keep keys and remote entry out of the reach of children.

· Heat should be used to bake a cake, not kids!

Water – Summer@Safety and the Case of He Was Here Just a Minute Ago

· Despite a 40 percent decline since 1987, drowning is still the second leading cause of unintentional injury related death to children ages 1 to 9, taking more than 900 children’s’ lives each year.

· Drowning is a quick and silent killer. In the time it takes to…

o Cross the room for a towel (10 seconds), a child in the bathtub can become submerged.

o Answer the phone (2 minutes), that child can lose consciousness.

o Sign for a package at your front door (4 to 6 minutes), a child submerged in the bathtub or pool can sustain permanent brain damage.

· Tip: Put the cell phone away, forget about all the other things you have to do and give young children 100 percent of your attention when they are near or around water.

· “Other things” can wait but kids can’t!

Poisoning – Summer@Safety and the Case of I Thought It was a Piece of Candy

· With a 160% increase from 1999 to 2009, poisoning is the fastest-rising cause of accidental death in the United States.

· More than 60% of exposures involve children less than 6 years of age.

· About 50,000 children under the age of 4 are injured by unintentional poisonings every year.

· Tip: Store all household products out children’s sight and reach, and install child safety locks on cabinets where you have stored poisonous items.

· Identical twins – great; but some look alike items can be poisonous!

Window Falls – Summer@Safety and the Case of Keep the Good Stuff In

· Each year in the United States, 15 to 20 children under the age of 11 die and nearly 15,000 are injured from window falls.

· Children are more likely to be hurt after a fall from a window than from any other type of fall.

· Tip: Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows. Screens keep bugs out, not kids in!

· Screens keep bugs out but you keep kids in!

ATV Safety – Summer@Safety and the Case of Head Over Hills

· Children under 16 suffer nearly 40% of all ATV related injuries and fatalities in the U.S. each year, despite warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics against child ATV use.

· In 2011, nationally, 327 people died from ATV injuries and 107,500 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries.

· Tip: Children who are too young to have a driver’s license should not be allowed to operate off-road vehicles. Proper helmet use is of critical importance when riding on an ATV.

· Hit the Road Jack and I hope you come back!

Fires, burns – Summer@Safety and the Case of Baby It’s Hot in Here

· Working smoke alarms reduce the chances of dying in a fire by nearly 50 percent.

· On average in the United States in 2009, someone died in a fire about every 175 minutes, and someone was injured every 31 minutes.

· Most victims of fires die from smoke or toxic gases and not from burns.

· Tip: For the best protection, install smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside every sleeping area, and in each bedroom. Change battery operated alarms at least twice a year.

· Not a good time to hear, “Things are really smokin’ in here!

Choking, Suffocation – Summer@Safety and the Case of Neck to Neck

· Unintentional choking and suffocation injuries account for over 4,500 deaths in the home each year.

· Suffocation is the leading cause of injury deaths in children less than one year of age.

· Tip: See the world from a child’s perspective. Get on the floor on your hands and knees so that you are at your child’s eye level. Look for and remove small items. Hot dogs, grapes, carrots, apples and popcorn are often associated with choking deaths.

· What goes down may not come up!

Strangulation – Summer@Safety and the Case of the Overly Tight Tie

· Nearly 1,000 kids under the age of 14 strangle to death each year from all types of accidents.

· 90% of deaths are in children ages 4 and under.

· Tip: Strangulation can happen in the blink of an eye. Watch for dangers such as window cords, clothing, swing sets, and electrical cords.

· “That cinches the deal,” is not always a good thing!

Playground – Summer@Safety and the Case of When I Fall in Love

· Falls are the most common type of playground injury, accounting for more than 75 percent of all playground-related injuries.

· Lack of or improper supervision is associated with approximately 45 percent of playground-related injuries.

· Tips: Make sure the playground you use is safe and has shock-absorbing surfaces such as rubber or sand. Dress appropriately and remove necklaces, helmets, scarves or clothing with drawstrings that could get caught on equipment.

· Play it Safe!