When the kids are out of school for the summer and have more free time on their hands, there is a greater risk for injury accidents. Parents need to do everything possible to keep their children safe. Drivers on the road also need to be aware that there are going to be more kids out playing and thus a greater potential for bicycle or pedestrian accidents.

If an accident does occur over the summer, it is important for victims or their families to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer for assistance.

Tips for Summer Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has provided a comprehensive list of summer safety tips for kids and parents. The list addresses prevention of most of the major risks that young people can face.

For example, to reduce the risk of children being injured or killed by heat stroke, parents should:

  • Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even for a few moments. It takes less than 10 minutes or a car to reach a deadly temperature even when the weather is not that warm outside.
  • Check the back and front seat of the car every time before you lock the vehicle. Get into the habit of doing this even if your children are not in the car with you so you do not ever take a chance of locking your kids inside.
  • Take action if you see kids have been left in the car. If you are out and see a child unattended inside of a vehicle, call 911 right away to get help.
  • Teach your children about car dangers. Kids need to know that they shouldn’t play in the car. Keep the vehicle locked and keys put away and out of reach so kids aren’t tempted to go into a vehicle where they could become trapped.

To reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents, parents should:

  • Hold hands with children when crossing the street or around vehicles and make a rule that children can cross only with responsible adults.
  • Teach children to look both ways when crossing and to stay out of the road if a car is coming.
  • Teach children that they should walk across the street rather than running across the street.

To reduce the risk of bicycle accident injuries, parents should:

  • Ensure their kids have the proper helmet on at all times when riding.
  • Make sure kids now to ride in the same direction as the traffic and to always obey signals and stop signs when riding their bike.
  • Allow bicycle riding only on low-traffic roads and encourage kids to ride on the sidewalk rather than in the road.
  • Never allow the use of cell phones or headphones when riding a bike.

Drivers also have a responsibility to protect kids on the road. Motorists should be aware of the potential for more kids to be out in the summer months and should avoid driving while distracted, especially in neighborhoods where kids are likely to be playing.

Contact a Phoenix personal injury attorney at Israel & Gerity after your accident. Call 888-900-3667 or visit https://www.ig-law.com to schedule your free consultation.