Accidents are the leading cause of childhood deaths in the United States. Each year more than 50,000 children suffer permanent disabilities from injuries. More children die from accident injuries during spring and summer than at any other time of year.
That's why extra attention needs to be paid to this challenge right now. The solution is to be found not just in more safety education for youngsters but in more adult supervision, mostly by parents.Here are a few key suggestions from the Safe Kids Coalition and a number of other groups that focus on safety for children:
Bike riders should give cars and pedestrians the right of way, wear bright-colored clothing and use biker lights if they must cycle at night, and always wear a helmet. Some 80 percent of bike deaths involve head injuries.
When using grills or open fires, keep a bucket of water handy and teach children to stop, drop and roll - not run - if their clothing ignites.
Never let children swim alone or unsupervised, not even for a minute while an adult answers the phone or door bell. If the adult has to go inside, youngsters in pools should, too.
Don't let a child ride on a riding lawn mower, even if accompanied by an adult. A child should be at least 16 before operating a riding mower. Because of the seriousness of lawn mower injuries and the emotional trauma they cause entire families, Knight-Ridder News Service reports that many safety experts believe children should not even be outdoors during lawn mowing.
Because 80 percent of all playground injuries result from falls, the most effective way to prevent injury is with resilient ground coverings that help absorb the impact of a fall. Grass is not an effective cushion. Better materials include wood chips, mulch, shredded tires and even pea gravel.
Above all, parents and other adults should not let themselves be swayed by children's pleas to bend the rules. Youngsters' health and lives are far more important than a few moments of inconvenience and unhappiness.