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Have fun, stay safe this summer

The unofficial start of summer begins on Memorial Day. There are so many fun things to do outdoors during summers in New England, but there are safety precautions to take as well.

As children get out of school, the days get longer and the roads get busier, Backus Hospital wants you to have fun, but stay safe, this summer. Read more below about ATV, bicycle, skateboard and pedestrian safety.

ATV safety

Gillian Mosier, RN, Trauma Center Manager at Backus Hospital, said there has been an increase in All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) injuries so far this year. She said the popular four-wheel, off-road vehicles can be very dangerous, so she urges people to adopt safety precautions. While it is best to avoid ATVs altogether, if you do ride them, be sure to wear a helmet and supervise children under 16, Mosier said.

Skateboarding safety

Skateboarding is another increasingly popular summer pastime, and with this popularity has come more injuries.

Nearly 16,000 people per year visit hospital emergency rooms with skateboard-related injuries, the majority of them boys under the age of 15, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Ms. Mosier said locally, she has seen cases in which skateboarders sustain serious traumatic injuries, some with lifelong implications.

The National Safety Council, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and Backus Hospital’s Trauma Center offer these skateboarding tips:

• Wear protective equipment such as closed, slip-resistant shoes, helmets, and specially designed padding. 
• Padded jackets and shorts are available for skateboarders, as well as padding for knees, elbows, and wrists. 
• While wearing protective gear cannot fully protect from fractures, wearing it can reduce the number of severe cuts and scrapes. 
• Helmets should always be worn and properly fit.  A chinstrap should be attached and the helmet should not block the vision or sight of the rider. 
• If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you will not have as far to fall.
• If you do fall, try to land on the fleshy parts of your body, and try to roll rather than absorb the entire force of the fall with your arms.
• When falling, try to relax your body, rather than stiffening up. 
• Always give your board a safety check before riding.
• Never ride in the street.
• Obey local laws and traffic regulations for skateboarding.
• Only have one person per skateboard.
• Complicated tricks should be practiced in designated areas, such as skateboard parks. In Norwich, there is a skateboard park located on Mahan Drive.
• Practice falling on soft surfaces or grass.

Bicycle Safety

Each year there are about 900 bicycle related deaths in the U.S., and another 500,000 bicycle-related injuries are treated in hospital emergency rooms.  Of those injuries 70,000 suffer from serious head injuries and never fully recover.

Bicyclists should wear helmets at all times, said Ms. Mosier. Here are some safety tips from the Backus Trauma Center and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Administration:

• Always wear a helmet, preferably one that meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.
• Always wear bright colors.
• Avoid biking at night. if unavoidable, equip your bike with head and tail lights and wear reflective clothing.
• Ride your bicycle near the right hand edge of the road – with traffic. 
• Always use hand signals when turning or stopping.
• Be observant, and obey traffic laws.
• Make sure your bike is in good working order, and check brakes before riding.
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Pedestrian Safety

      The2004 Fatality Analysis Supporting Systems (FARS) shows that the number of persons killed in motor vehicle accidents has declined since 2003 –the second consecutive year that traffic fatalities have declined after reaching a high of 43,005 in 2002.

Still, remaining vigilant is and taking the necessary precautions are important for both drivers and pedestrians, Ms. Mosier said.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Backus Trauma Center offer these tips for pedestrians:

• Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and you must walk on    the road, always walk facing traffic.
•  Cross the street only at intersections, and use marked crosswalks where available. 
• Dress to be seen.  Wearing bright colors or reflective clothing helps drivers to see you.  Carry a flashlight when walking in the dark.
• Use extra caution when crossing multiple-lane streets, and pedestrians should visually clear each lane as they proceed.
•  Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets and continue to watch for traffic the entire time you are crossing the street.
•   Always look for signs that a car is about to move (rear lights, exhaust smoke, sound of motor, wheels turning), and never walk behind a car that is backing up.
• Remember telephone poles and parked vehicles may block the ability of oncoming vehicles to see you.
• Always hold your child’s hand.  Children should not cross streets by themselves or be allowed to play or walk near traffic.
• In inclement weather, give the driver extra time and distance to stop.
•  If your view of approaching traffic is blocked, move to where you can see and look left-right-left again.
• Never run or dash into the street.
• If the intersection has a pedestrian signal, use it.

Things to remember as a driver:

• Pedestrians can be hard to see, especially in bad weather or at night.  Keep a lookout at all times, and slow down if you cannot see clearly.
• Stop for pedestrians who are in a crosswalk. 
•  Cars stopped in the street may be stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross.  Do not pass if there is any doubt.
• Don’t assume pedestrians can see or hear you.
• Be extra attentive around schools and in neighborhoods where children are present.
• Give yourself ample time to reach your destination, so you aren’t rushing.