Tips for Making Summer Safe from Safe Kids Canada

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.

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

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