Fall is in the Air and Safety is Everywhere
Safety & Awareness | September 1, 2022
SAFE KIDS SAFETY TIPS
By Kathi Hegranes, FOCUS Program Coordinator, Injury Prevention & Outreach Coordinator, CPST-I, ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah
When the weather hints at turning cooler it brings with it a changing season of safety tips.
As you enjoy the falling leaves and harvest festivals – don’t ruin it with a trip to the ER. Know that fall can be fun AND safe with a little careful planning.
Cool School Safety Tips
- If you are able, practice walking safely to and from school, the bus or your vehicle. Needless pedestrian injuries occur daily – in fact, more than 40 kids a day are hit by a vehicle. Those injuries are largely preventable!
- It may save a few seconds but always cross at the corner – never mid-block. Darting between cars is a huge no-no. Kids have to be seen to be safe.
- Revisit and practice the basics – look left, right, left before crossing the street. It is important to continue looking left, right, left in all directions while walking across the street.
Tip: some kids may quickly whip their heads from side to side when checking for traffic, so take time to reinforce a complete scan of the street each time they look in a different direction. - No sidewalk? Walkers should face oncoming traffic when in the road and stay as far away from vehicles as possible.
- Riding a Bike? In addition to a helmet (protecting your body’s “computer”), bicycles should ride in the same direction as traffic. Remember “Wheels travel in the same direction as wheels. Walkers face the wheels when walking.”
- If you have a phone the mantra is “Phones down, heads up when walking.”
- See and be seen with reflective or fluorescent clothing or items with reflective stripes.
- Consider participating in National Walk and Bike to School Day on October 5.
- Playground pitfalls include clothing with drawstrings, necklaces, and bike helmets. They can get caught on equipment and accidentally strangle a child.
- Reinforce feet first on slides, only sit on swings and don’t climb outside guardrails on play equipment.
Halloween Hints
- Remind children to walk, not run. Excitement can make it easy to forget this important tip!
- Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating.
- Phones down, heads up when walking. It’s easy for both children and adults to be distracted by a text or call on this exciting night.
- Watch for cars turning or backing up whether you are in the street or on the sidewalk. Reminder facing traffic is always safer because you can see oncoming cars and bicycles.
NOTE: This doesn’t apply when biking.
