Don't Take a Vacation from Safety this Summer

Summer is the most dangerous time of year for children, according to a study released by the National Safe Kids Campaign. This national report on seasonal trends in unintentional injury among children found that May through August account for nearly half of all injury-related childhood deaths, with July being the deadliest month. Children will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times in the United States this summer during "trauma season."

Follow these tips with your family to protect your children from the top summertime risks.

Ride safe

• Make sure each of your children has his or her own child safety seat or safety belt that is appropriate for his or her age and size.
• Study your vehicle owner and car seat manuals carefully for proper installation and usage.

Walk safe

• Never let a child younger than age 10 cross the street alone.
• Insist children cross at the crosswalks where they are more likely to be seen by drivers.

Wheel safe

• Provide your children with properly fitting helmets and other protective gear, and make sure they wear them every time they ride their bikes, scooters, in-line skates or skateboards.
• Teach your children the rules of the road and to obey all traffic laws.

Swim safe

• Always closely watch young children near water, including pools, spas, toilets, bathtubs and buckets.
• Wear personal flotation devices when out on boats, near open bodies of water or participating in water sports, and do not trust inflatable pool toys to keep children afloat.

Play safe

• Supervise your children at playgrounds and make sure there is a safe surface such as mulch, gravel, rubber or fine sand.
• Insist that your children wear the correct, properly fitted protective gear when they practice and play team sports.

Work safe

• Store gasoline, fertilizers, insect repellents, paint, windshield washer fluid and other dangerous chemicals out of the reach of children in locked cabinets.
• Check to be sure children are inside the house before mowing the lawn.

Ventilate safe

• Do not put beds, cribs or other furniture near open windows or rely on screens to protect children from falls from windows.
• Never use a grill in an enclosed space such as a garage or fumigate your home for insects or other pests when children are present.

Reprinted with the permission of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.