Safety Tips
Water and Drowning Safety
- Always watch children near water. Don't leave, even for a moment.
- Use a barrier like a fence to keep children away from pools or other bodies of water.
- Empty and turn over all water containers after you use them.
- Teach children to swim when they're ready, usually after age 4.
- Teach children to never run, push or jump on others around water.
- Teach children never to swim alone.
Fire and Burns Safety
- Do not leave children alone around open flames, stoves or candles.
- Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and other flammable materials out of children's reach.
- Teach children a plan for escaping your home in a fire and practice it.
- Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area.
- Test them once a month.
- Replace the batteries once a year.
- Replace alarms every 10 years.
- Before bathing children in heated water, always run your open hand through the water to check its temperature.
- Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges. Never carry children and hot foods or liquids at the same time.
- Keep things that easily catch fire (such as papers) away from heat sources like stoves, heaters and fireplaces.
Motor Vehicle Safety
- Every person riding in a car or truck needs his or her own seat belt. Do not let passengers ride in storage areas or on other people's laps.
- Children should always ride in a back seat restrained in a car seat or safety belt.
- Infants should ride in rear-facing car seats until they weigh at least 20 lbs (9 kg) and are at least 1 year old. Do not put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag.
- Children over 1 year old and weighing between 20 lbs (9kg) and 40 lbs (18 kg) should ride in forward-facing car seats.
- Children ages 4 to 8 weighing between 40 lbs (18 kg) and 80 lbs (36 kg) should ride in booster seats restrained with lap and shoulder belts. A regular safety belt won't fully protect a child this size in a crash.
- Children and adults weighing over 80 lbs (36kg) should use a safety belt for every ride.
Click here for more information on the new booster seat law. (PDF)
Bike Safety
Teach children the following bicycle and motorbike safety rules:
- Wear a bicycle or motorcycle helmet on every ride. Check to see if your helmet should have a safety certification.
- Ride so drivers and cyclists can see you.
- Look both ways for oncoming vehicles before turning or crossing a street. Go only when it is clear.
- Watch out for potholes, cracks, rocks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks or anything that could make you lose control of your bike.
- Make sure your bike fits your height, weight and age.
- Inflate tires properly.
- Check brakes before riding.
- Bikers should ride behind one another and with the flow of traffic.