Summer Safety Tips
Important Rules for a Safe Summer
More than half of all children's injuries occur between May and August. Follow these safety tips to help ensure a fun and safe summer for you and your family.
Never Leave a Child Alone in the Car
Besides the danger of abduction, the temperature in a car can skyrocket in minutes. Even if you leave the windows down, the outside temperature can turn the inside of a car into a suffocating sauna in just minutes. Children die every year from suffering heat stroke in hot cars. If you see an unattended young child in a vehicle, call 911, the police or other emergency personnel.
Never Leave a Child Alone in or Near the Pool
Children can drown in a matter of seconds. Drowning typically occurs when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision. Remember, teaching your child how to swim does not mean your child is safe in water. Keep these safety tips in mind:
Never rely on a personal flotation device or swimming lessons to protect a child.
- Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, a telephone and emergency numbers poolside.
- Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least 5 feet high, and equipped with self-closing, self-latching gates.
- Fencing should completely surround swimming pools or spas and prevent direct access from a house or yard.
- Never allow children to dive in water less than 9 feet deep.
Never Leave a Child in or Near Traffic Areas
- Prohibit play in driveways, streets, parking lots and unfenced yards near streets.
- Never let your child play in or around a parked car, even in your own garage.
- Teach children to never run into the street and to walk facing traffic, as far to the left as possible, when sidewalks are not available.
- Never allow children under age 10 to cross streets alone. Always provide adult supervision.
- Always obey traffic laws and maintain proper pedestrian behavior. Cross streets at a corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
- Instruct children to look left, right and left again when crossing a street and to continue looking as they cross.
- Make sure children wear reflective materials and carry a flashlight in low-light situations.
