Summer is the time for outdoor fun. Children leave their classrooms behind for the unstructured fun of the playground, pool, and road trips. However, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, serious accidents increase significantly during the four-month period between May and September. Avoid these common summertime accidents for a memorable and safe summer break for the entire family.

Playground Accidents

The National Program for Playground Safety conducted a seven year National Playground Study and found that 218,851 children during that period went to the ER for injuries on playground equipment due to falls from slides, monkey bars, and rock walls. This causes broken bones, head injuries, and asphyxiations.

Many playground accidents happen because of defective, broken, or otherwise unsafe public playground equipment. Stay away from playgrounds that appear neglected or in disrepair. Children should only use equipment designed for their age group and are never to be left unattended on the playground. Children should also never wear hooded sweatshirts, jewelry or anything else that can become caught on playground equipment and choke them.

Car Accidents

Car accident rates, especially for teen drivers, increase drastically between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Teen drivers are statistically more likely to drive distracted, making this the leading cause of car accidents. Distracted driving does not only mean driving while texting. Eating, adjusting the radio, putting on make-up, and turning to talk to a passenger involve taking the driver’s eyes off the road. A teen driver that takes their eyes off the road lacks the reaction time to avoid a car accident.

It is best to limit driving hours and distance for inexperienced drivers and to make sure the family car is properly serviced before each trip. Teaching your young driver how to handle an emergency on the road can help prevent future accidents.

Pool accidents

Everyone associates summertime fun with the water, whether it is the pool, the lake, or the ocean, water activities provide relief from the hot summer months. The water presents its own risks though, especially for children. Accidental drowning claims 1,000 young lives every year. Residential swimming pool drownings are the second leading cause of fatal injury for people ages 5 to 24. Enjoying the water can be fun and safe if you follow a few safety tips.

• Always supervise children in the water at all times, regardless of how much experience they have as swimmers.
• All children can benefit from swimming lessons.
• Young children and less experienced swimmers should always be within arm’s reach of an adult for “touch supervision.”
• Flotation devices should be Coast Guard approved and fit properly.
• Vests and water wings are insufficient protection against drowning.

Homeowners have a responsibility to safely maintain their pool area. Fences should adhere to Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Gates should be self-latching and out of reach from children. Ladders should be removed from aboveground pools when not in use to prevent children from sneaking in without supervision. Every adult using a pool with children should be prepared to act in the event of an emergency.

Milford Wrongful Death Lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow Protect Victims Injured in Summertime Accidents

If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to another’s carelessness, let a Milford wrongful death lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow fight for the compensation you deserve. Call our Wilmington, Delaware office at 302-427-9500 or contact us online. Rhoades & Morrow handles all personal injury and work injury cases throughout Delaware, including Wilmington, Hockessin, Newark, Glasgow, Bear, Middletown, Smyrna, Dover, Milford, Lewes, Georgetown, and Seaford, as well as any other community in New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County.