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| Don Keenan, founder of the Keenan’s Kids Foundation, has published a book on child safety titled, 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe, which is available at www.balloonpress.com or at www.amazon.com . All proceeds benefit the Keenan’s Kids Foundation |
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School Bus Safety
Children are usually safe on buses because of their large size and build. However, when involved in accidents with larger vehicles like tractor trailers, the bus can’t always provide enough protection. Children are also at risk at bus stops where pedestrian children are killed each year due to blind spots.
Consider these statistics:
∑ An average of 22 school-age children die in school transportation-related traffic crashes each year – six are occupants of school transportation vehicles and 16 are pedestrians.
∑ School bus accidents are occurring with higher frequency. Approximately 23.5 million children ride school buses, and each year between 8,500 and 17,000 go to the emergency room from a school bus related accident.
Here are a few steps you can take to make sure your child is safe:
1. KNOW THE DRIVER
It’s important to know the driver screening process in your school district and ask questions about your child's driver. The driver's record should be checked periodically. Ask your school how long ago your child's driver was screened.
2. MAKE SURE ALL PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE SEATBELTS
Federal law requires seat belts for pre-schoolers, but that doesn't guarantee compliance. Some school bus administrators don't know about the law or have chosen to disregard it.
3. KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE YOUR CHILD WILL BE PICKED UP AND DROPPED OFF
Is it a busy neighborhood? Will your child have to cross the street? Are there any natural blind spots or curves where your child could be overlooked? These are important questions so you can adequately prepare your child.
4. URGE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MODERNIZE ALL BUSES WITH SEATBELTS
While there is no law mandating seat belts on buses, we believe they play an important role in bus safety. Children are killed every year when buses collide with large vehicles (like tractor trailers) or stationary objects (like trees). Seat belts would reduce the number of deaths related to bus crashes. Also, we teach our children the importance of seat belt use and send a conflicting message to our children by letting them ride a bus with no seat belts. Visit the National Coalition for School Bus Safety for more information on seat belts on buses www.ncsbs.org
Pedestrian Safety
Consider these facts:
∑ In 2005, 2,348 children ages 0 to 15 years were killed in vehicle-related deaths.
∑ Pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages five to 14.
∑ Children are at an increased risk for pedestrian injury and death because the traffic rules and risks often exceed their cognitive, developmental, behavioral, physical, and sensory abilities, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
Practice the following tips to ensure your child’s safety:
1. Teach proper pedestrian behavior by being a good pedestrian yourself.
Parents are the best model children have of good pedestrian behavior. Teach and practice safety precautions such as only crossing at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks when available, and making eye contact with drivers before crossing.
2. Teach children to be aware of their surroundings
Teach children to look LEFT, RIGHT, and then LEFT again when crossing a street, and to continue looking around when crossing.
3. Stay out of the street when playing
Do not allow children to play in driveways, streets, or parking lots.
4. Teach safety around large vehicles
Especially around schools where there are a lot of kids and buses, teach children to cross the street at least 10 feet in front of a school bus. In large vehicles, it is harder for the driver to see the child at all times.
Neighborhood Vehicle Safety
We love to let our kids out to play in the afternoon. It’s good for them to burn off some energy! Unfortunately, statistics show that too many children are injured by neighborhood cars each year. Consider the following:
∑ 42% of non-traffic, non-crash fatalities between 1999 and 2003 were back-over deaths involving children under the age of 14.
∑ Last year, there were 226 child fatalities related to non-crash car accidents, according to www.kidsandcars.com.
∑ The Center for Disease Control reports that 9,100 children are treated each year in hospital emergency rooms for non traffic, non crash incidents.
While these accidents seem out of our control, there are ways you can protect your family:
1. Know the regularly scheduled vehicles in your neighborhood – garbage trucks, public transit, mail trucks, etc. These trucks are usually large and tend to have blind spots where children can be easily missed by the driver. By knowing the schedules of your neighborhood vehicles, you can warn your kids about them. Also, if you see one of the regularly scheduled drivers behaving in an unsafe manner, report them.
2. Be aware of driveway hazards – Any vehicles coming in and out of your driveway can be dangerous. Kids and Cars suggests a) don’t let your kids play in or around the driveway, b) children should be asked to stand together in a visible spot before anyone in a vehicle leaves the driveway c) make sure that the people supervising children, particularly toddlers, know exactly when drivers are leaving so the children don’t venture out to the driveway.
Be observant when it comes to other drivers in your neighborhood and report those who may be putting your children in danger. You are the best protection your children have.
Don Keenan, founder of the Keenan’s Kids Foundation, has published a book on kids safety titled, 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe, which is available at www.balloonpress.com or at www.amazon.com Proceeds benefit the Keenan’s Kids Foundation.
Garage Safety
We’re not kids anymore, but we’ve all done it – activated our automatic garage door and run underneath the moving door quickly before the door closes. For us, the danger is minimal, but for children whose response times are slower than adults, one false move can be deadly. Consider these statistics on kids and garages:
∑ Approximately four children a year are injured or killed by automatic garage doors.
∑ Over 50% of all poisonings occurred in children under the age of 6, and 90% of all poisonings occur in the home (including the garage).
Below are ways to make your garage safer for kids:
1. Check the age of your garage door
Doors manufactured after 1993 are equipped with safety features – the doors are outfitted with an external entrapment prevention system which acts as an electronic eye. If anything is in the way of the sensor, the door will not close. If you have a door manufactured before 1993, consider updating it. Not only will it protect your children, it will increase the value of your home.
2. Mount the garage door remote control out of the reach of children
The location should also be where the user has a clear view of the door’s motion.
3. Know how to operate the emergency release
The emergency release is usually the short rope hanging from the motor of the door. In an emergency, pull the cord and lift the door by hand.
4. Teach children that the garage door is not a toy
Never play “chicken” or any other games involving the garage door.
5. Clearly mark dangerous products and store in a locked cabinet/closet/container.
Many pesticides, pool chemicals, and other poisonous substances are stored in the garage. It is important that children never have access to these chemicals.
Outdoor Safety
• A 2004 report by the Safe Kids Campaign shows that an average of 17 children a day, or 2,143 children in total, died from May 1st to August 31st due to injuries, many of which could have been prevented.
• Also in 2004, 2.4 million children made emergency room visits due to accidental injuries.
What can you do to keep your child safe while experiencing outdoor adventures? Follow the checklist below to eliminate potential outdoor dangers in your neighborhood:
1. Frequently look over your child’s play area and neighborhood.
- This is the most important thing a parent can do to protect their child outdoors. In addition to your home, survey your neighborhood, including open public buildings nearby. Look for hazards such as chemicals, gasoline containers, sharp tools, sink holes, abandoned appliances, ladders, and other potential dangers.
2. Power mowers are responsible for 8,000 injuries to children a year. Follow the safety rules for lawnmowers.
- Keep children under 12 years of age away from power motors.
- Never let children under 14 years of age operate a ride-on mower.
3. Because children are notorious for tree climbing, it is important that the attractive climbing trees are healthy. Trees are also used in the summer for shade. Remove dangerous limbs before the danger intensifies.
4. As much as possible, remove all so-called “attractive nuisances” in the neighborhood.
- “Attractive nuisances” are objects, such as old appliances or empty buildings, which draw children’s attention and pose potential hazards.
5. Be vigilant with regard to construction sites.
- Construction sites are known to attract children. Sitting on the heavy equipment, climbing the ladders, pounding the lumber, the child's imagination has no limit. Check the area regularly to ensure that dangerous equipment and conditions are properly secured so that children cannot reach them.
6. Supervise your children at all times while swimming.
- Drowning is one of the most common summer killers. Sometimes referred to as “the silent killer,” drowning can occur in a matter of seconds without the parent ever knowing the child is in distress. Watch your kids while they swim, and take safety precautions to keep kids away from the pool when it’s not being used.
7. Keep 5-gallon buckets away from toddlers, particularly if there is any amount of water or liquid in them.
- In less than 20 years, the CPSC (www.cpsc.gov) has reported 275 child deaths by drowning and 30 serious hospitalizations from five-gallon buckets containing liquids. Toddlers are top heavy, and once they fall into the bucket, they have difficulty getting out.
8. Keep your kids hydrated.
- The American College of Sports Medicine found in a recent study that two thirds of kids arrive at sports games and practices dehydrated. It’s important to hydrate before, during, and after games and practices.
It is also important to set boundaries with your kids when playing outdoors. According to their ages, they should have certain boundaries for how far they can travel from home and set times for when they must be back. If possible, it’s also important that your child have a friend or sibling with them at all times in case of an emergency.
Handgun Safety
Kids and guns are usually a dangerous combination. I do not advocate getting rid of guns altogether, but if you feel you don't need a gun, its best not to have one. Consider the following statistic:
• According to the National Association for Gun Safety, a child dies as a result of a gun discharge every three hours.
• According to research conducted by Dr. Arthur Kellerman, a leading expert in handgun technology, only 50% of children ages eight to twelve can tell the difference between a real gun and a toy gun.
If you choose to keep a gun in your home, take the proper precautions:
1. KEEP THE GUN IN A LOCKED SAFE OR LOCKBOX.
The safest place to keep a gun is in a locked gun cabinet or a home safe.
2. BUY THE BEST TRIGGOR LOCK AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GUN
A trigger lock, or gunlock, is a device which encloses the gun's trigger so that the trigger cannot be pulled and thus the bullet will not fire. United laboratories has tested and rated several that appear very good. If it looks inexpensive, do not buy it. If the lock appears to be made of plastic, do not buy it. Remember, not all trigger locks fit all guns - there are many guns that can still be fired and access to the trigger accomplished even when the gun lock is firmly locked. Also, make sure the gunlock has a key lock or combination lock; all other methods have been shown to fail.
3. CHECK FRIENDS’ AND NEIGHBORS’ HOMES FOR GUN SAFETY
Your child is equally at risk in the homes of friends and relatives who have guns. Make sure your child is safe away from home. Teach your child the dangers of guns, and ask friends and families to lock the guns away when children are visiting.
Daycare Safety
While we would all love to stay at home with our children at all times, this is sometimes not possible. When we do decide to leave our children in the hands of others, we want to know that they are as safe as possible. It is important to know what to look for when choosing a Day Care for your child. Consider the following statistics:
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that two-thirds of child care settings exhibit an unsafe feature. Unsafe features include: unsafe cribs, soft bedding (which is more likely to suffocate a child than firm bedding), playground surfacing and maintenance issues, lack of child safety gates, dangerous window blind cords, and recalled children’s products.
Follow the check list below when choosing a day care:
1. Check for proof of licensing
Without a license, a facility is free to hire any personnel it desires, supervise children in any manner it sees fit, and maintain whatever facility health conditions it chooses. Simply put, the facility is held to no safety standards.
2. Check for National Accreditation
Organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children set minimum standards regarding age, staff training, and safety standards. Minimum standards are better than no standards!
3. Check for complaints or low ratings against the facility
Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints. Judge each complaint for yourself.
4. Check for emergency protocols
It is important that all employees be trained to handle any type of emergency. For example: which hospital is the closest and how will they be contacted in an emergency? What is the protocol for storms? Fires? Does the staff have basic medical training such as how to give CPR and the Heimlich maneuver?
5. Toy safety and use procedure
Make sure toys are age appropriate for all children in the facility. Often times, younger children choke on toys appropriate for older children that have been left out and have small removable pieces. Pay attention to toy recalls and make sure your facility removes all dangerous toys.
Choking
Hotdogs and beans seem to be a staple food in any family. However, it can also be a dangerous meal. Because children under five years old have smaller air passages and less physical ability to cough out obstructions than adults, they are more likely to choke on items.
Consider this statistics:
• Approximately every five days a child in the United States dies from choking on food. More than 90% of these children are younger than age five, according to 2004 statistics from the Center for Science in the Public Interest
• In 2001, more than 10,000 children were treated in emergency departments for choking on foods.
Here are some things you can do to keep your child safe:
1. Any food that is small, round cylindrical or compressible poses a choking hazard for children under the age of 5. This includes hotdogs, candy, chewing gum, popcorn, nuts, grapes, peanut butter, raisins, raw carrots, and apple chunks. Avoid serving these types of food to children.
2. If you serve anything that is small and round, make sure you first cut it into quarters, and then cut them lengthwise and into smaller pieces.
Children unfortunately also choke on non food items like toys and balloons. Follow these tips for prevention:
1. Make sure your child’s toy is age appropriate – many times toys that are age appropriate for children over 6 years of age contain small parts that are easily choked on by a younger child. Be sure your small child is not playing with a toy with small parts. Also, be sure that an older child doesn’t leave small parts on the floor where a younger sibling can find them.
2. Never give latex balloons to children under the age of eight – latex balloons are hard to remove from a child’s throat making them easier to choke on than other items.
Pet Safety
Pets bring so much joy to our lives. They also become a good way to teach children the importance of giving and receiving love. However not every close encounter of the pet kind has a happy ending.
The Statistics Show the Importance of being aware of potentially dangerous animals in your neighborhood. Consider the following:
• Every year, dogs bite 4.7 million Americans, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• About 42 percent of dog bites occur among children less than 14 years of age (CDC)
• Most injuries to children under four years of age are to the head and neck areas (CDC)
To protect your children, teach them what to do in different situations:
1. Teach your children how to behave around dogs. Emphasize that they should only approach a dog if the dog is leashed and accompanied by an owner. If the dog is not on a leash and/or is not accompanied by an owner (for example, if the dog is leashed to a table outside with no owner in sight) your children should leave the dog alone.
If the dog is on a leash, with an owner holding the leash, teach your child to follow these important steps called the WASP approach. This technique was created by 12 year old Kelly Voight, who was a victim of a dog attack:
W - Wait and watch the dog's body language. Understand how to tell the difference between angry, afraid, and happy dogs. Dogs show what they are feeling.
A - Ask the owner for permission to pet the animal.
S - Let the pet sniff you.
P - Pet the dog in the direction of the fur and be very gentle.
2. Teach your child what to do if a dog becomes threatening:
a. Tell your child that if a dog appears threatening in any way, it is essential to always remain calm. Never scream. Remain completely still until the dog leaves or back away slowly without turning your back to the dog.
b. Never run away. The dog will chase anyone who runs.
c. If your child falls or is knocked to the ground he should curl into a ball. Emphasize the importance of protecting his face by putting his hands completely over his head and neck.
Learn More: For more information, visit the Web site started by Kelly Voight. Her non-profit organization, "Prevent the Bite," has an excellent web site, www.preventthebite.com. Other good resources include www.safekidssafedogs.com, and a site run by State Farm Insurance: www.statefarm.com/consumer/dogbite.htm.
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