Tips for Making Summer Safe from Safe
Kids Canada Summer Safe Checklist This summer, Canadian kids will have
fun and stay active by riding their bikes, swimming, walking and
playing in playgrounds. However, these activities aren't without
risk. Safety experts estimate that 1,800 children will be
seriously injured this June through August, and approximately 50
will die.
The good news is that at least 40 per
cent of these injuries can be prevented by following basic
safety advice, says Safe Kids Canada. Here's how to help keep
your child safe this summer:
Bike riding
Insist on a bike helmet. A helmet
protects your child in case of a crash or fall. Keep children
under 10-years-old off the road. They don't have the mental and
physical skills to ride safely in traffic. Teach your
10-year-old about road rules and how to ride safely near cars.
Make sure he or she practices repeatedly under your supervision
before riding alone.
Swimming
Children under five have the highest risk
of drowning because they are attracted to water but don't
understand the dangers. They can drown quickly and silently.
Reduce the risk by standing within arm's reach of your child
whenever he or she is in the water or close to water and keep
them in a lifejacket. Be sure to supervise older children and
teens as well. If you have a backyard pool, make sure it is has
a four-sided, four foot high fence with a self-latching gate.
Walking
Children under age nine are at particular
risk as pedestrians because they haven't developed good
judgment about traffic. Make sure children under nine cross the
street with an adult or older child. Before walking alone, have
your nine-year-old show you that he or she knows how to cross
the street safely by pointing out the risks and actions they
would take to be safe.
Drivers' speed is also a risk factor.
Many communities have been successful in reducing traffic speed
and using other traffic calming measures such as speed bumps.
Playgrounds
Most serious injuries happen when
children fall from equipment onto a hard surface. Choose
playgrounds with a deep, soft surface. Keep children under five
on equipment that is no more than five feet (1.5 metres) high.
Summer
Safe Checklist:
Will your child be spending time
bike riding, swimming, walking or at the playground this summer?
Make sure he or she stays safe, says national injury prevention
program Safe Kids Canada. Here's how:
Ride safe
|
Wear a helmet. It can reduce the risk of
head and brain injury by as much as 85 per cent. |
Under 10? Stay off the road. Children under
10 don't have the physical and mental skills to ride in
traffic. |
If your child is over 10, teach road safety
and supervise until he or she can ride safely alone. |
Swim Safe
|
Under five? Children under five have the highest
risk of drowning. Put them in a lifejacket and stay right beside
them at all times. |
Over five? Emergencies can happen anytime, even if
your child can swim well. Supervise right through the teenage years.
|
Fence your pool. Keep your child and others safe by
surrounding the pool area with a four-sided, four-foot high fence
with a self-latching gate. |
|
|
Walk Safe
|
Under nine? Don't cross the street alone.
Children don't develop the judgment to cross the street safely
until at least age nine.
|
Slow down. Children hit by a car going 50 km/hr are
eight times more likely to die as those hit by a car going 30km/hr. |
Make sure your child crosses with an adult or older
responsible child. |
|
|
Play Safe
|
Keep it low. Most children are hurt on playgrounds
when they fall. Use playgrounds with a deep, soft surface and keep
children under five on equipment that is no more than five feet high
(1.5 metres). |
|
|
- News Canada
For more information about summer safety,
call Safe Kids Canada at 1-888-SAFE-TIPS (723-3847) or visit
www.safekidscanada.ca. The Safe Kids Week campaign - Make It a
Safe Kids Summer - runs from May 30 to June 5 and is sponsored
by Johnson & Johnson.
All tips are offered as suggestions only. While
we have tried to provide you with a list of suggestions to help parents
when travelling with children to keep them safe, unfortunately, we can’t
think of everything and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure
their children’s safety.
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For More tips go to:
Walking Safety Tips and Road Safety Rules
for Walking with Children, Tips to Teach Children Road Safety
Biking Safety Tips
Pool and Beach Safety Tips
Playground Safety Tips
Sun Safety Tips
Tips from the Canadian
Cancer Society about Shade from the Sun, Protecting Children from the
Sun and Sunscreen Use
Safety News -
Summer Safety Warning - Press Release from Consumer Product Safety
Commission
Safety News -
Beginning Summer Vacation With Safety Basics - ComEd Offers Summer
Safety Tips to Families
The Hazards of Heat and Tips for Keeping
Hydrated in the Summer Heat
Pools and
Parasites: Keeping Your Child Safe - The Children's Digestive Health and
Nutrition Foundation (CDHNF) Warns Parents about Dangerous Waterborne
Bacteria and Parasites Peak During Late Summer
See the following sections for specific tips:
Keep the Bugs at Bay, Eight Tips for a Bug Free Summer
Safety News - Summer Safety Warning - Press Release from Consumer Product Safety Commission
For General Travel Safety Tips Click
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For Car Safety Tips Click on
For Safety Tips when visiting Petting
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For Hotel Safety Tips Click on
For Playground Safety Tips Click on
For Pool and Beach Safety Tips Click
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For First Aid Tips about Insect Stings
Click Below:
For Kids Club Safety Tips Click on
For Biking Safety Tips Click on
For Winter Holiday Safety Tips Click
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For First Aid Tips Click on
For Safety Tips for Using Public Washrooms Click on
For In-line Skating Safety Tips Click on
For Fire Safety Tips Click on
For Safety Tips - Severe Allergic
Reactions Click on
For Tips on Buying Safe Toys Click
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For Seasonal Holiday
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