Pools, Bikes and Playgrounds - Tips on Summertime Kid Safety

Summertime fun shouldn’t be derailed by a trip to the hospital. But unfortunately, more than 3 million kids under 14 will be rushed to the emergency room with serious injuries this summer in America, and 2,000 will die. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that the children in your life enjoy their favorite summertime activities safely. If you have any summertime tips of your own to help others, feel free to share them here. It never hurts to remind each other of the little things that can make a big difference in a childs life. 

1) Install a four-sided fence: Unintentional drowning in pools is the second leading cause of death for children between one and 14 years of age, and many of those tragedies occur when children wander away from parental supervision. Consider installing a four-sided fence around your pool instead of a three-sided fence with the house forming the fourth side. Also note that pool covers are often hard to see through and can easily conceal a drowning child.

2) Stock rescue equipment: Keep a shepherd’s crook — a long pole with a hook on the end — and life preservers by the pool at all times. An important note: water floaties are NOT a suitable alternative to life jackets or life preservers. Instead, use life jackets and exercise arm’s-length parental supervision.

3) Encourage swimming lessons: Studies have shown that swimming lessons for children one to four years of age drastically reduces the risk of drowning — by up to 88 percent.  

1) Properly fit helmets: Wearing a helmet is a no-brainer, but many children don’t properly adjust theirs. See this guide from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration on how to properly fit and adjust a bike helmet for kids.

2) Adjust bike seats: There are obvious dangers involved in riding a bike, like traffic or potholes, but crashes often happen because of a poorly maintained bike. Adjust a child’s bike seat so it’s two to four inches above the top bar. This guarantees that the child’s legs never fully straighten out and lock in the down-pedal motion. Also check the tires and brakes before sending a child out on a ride.

3) Brush up on traffic laws: In most states, bikes are expected to follow the same basic traffic laws as automobiles. Educate your kids on the basics of bike traffic laws.

1) Use age-appropriate equipment: Higher equipment is only meant for older kids, but most playgrounds don’t differentiate between tots and tweens. Only 42 percent of U.S. playgrounds have separate play areas for children ages 2 to 5 and children ages 5 to 12, and only 9 percent have signs indicating the age-appropriateness of equipment.

2) Keep the ground soft: It can be hazardous when soft playground turf deteriorates and isn’t replaced promptly. A fresh layer of wood chips, rubber, sand or other shock-absorbing material can dramatically decrease the risk of injury due to a fall from the equipment.

If you have any questions feel free to stop by my Lakeville law office, email me at art@knowyourrights.com or call me at 952-469-2288,