Children are vulnerable to accidents over their summer break when they spend more time outside playing and are not in school all day. Fortunately, parents can follow some simple tips provided by the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) to reduce the dangers their kids face. If a child is injured, it is important to determine who is to blame and to take legal action against those responsible. A personal injury lawyer can represent families and children affected by negligence or wrongdoing. Preventing Summer Accidents Among Children There are many different kinds of risks that the summer brings for children and the NHTSA has provided safety tips to address some top causes of injury. To prevent heatstroke, the NHTSA reminds parents:
- Don't ever leave kids in hot cars. A child can suffer heatstroke and die in a hot vehicle in under 10 minutes. Children are less able than adults to regulate their body heat and vehicles can become deathly hot very quickly.
- Act if you see a child locked in a vehicle. You could save a life by calling 911 if you see that a child has been left inside of a car.
- Look before you lock. Every single time you get out of a car, you should check the front and the back seat to make sure no child has been left inside. This will allow you to avoid a deadly mistake if one day you forget your child is in the back seat.
To prevent pedestrian accidents, the NHTSA advises parents to:
- Teach children how to look both ways safely before crossing the street and to stay out of the road if a vehicle is coming.
- Hold hands when they are with children around vehicles and especially when crossing the street.
- Remind kids never to run out into the road from between parked cars.
- Set rules allowing your kids to cross the road only when they are with a responsible adult or an older child who knows how to cross safely.
To prevent bicycle accidents, the NHTSA advises parents to:
- Limit bike riding to roads where there is little or no traffic.
- Have kids ride their bikes on sidewalks rather than on the road whenever it is possible to do so.
- Always ensure that kids are wearing a helmet whenever they ride. The helmet should be sized appropriately and should be approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
- Make sure that kids are focused when bicycle riding and that they do not wear helmets or use cell phones when they are on their bikes.
By following these simple tips, parents can help to reduce the chances that their kids will be injured or killed over summer break. All drivers, regardless of whether they have children of their own, also need to be aware that there tend to be more kids out on the road. Motorists should avoid driving while distracted and should be extra cautious in driving through neighborhoods and on streets where kids are likely to be playing.
Contact our Columbus, OH personal injury attorneys today. Call 1-800-930-SCOTT or visit https://www.sestriallaw.com for a free case consultation.
