Kids’ Safety

Bicycle & Street, Pool, Heat Exhaustion, & Playground Safety

• Kids under school age (about age 5) should not play on or near streets (even sidewalks), even with adult supervision. They are too young to understand about the serious dangers and consequences of being hit by a vehicle. Teach children to look out for cars backing out of driveways, as well as how to safely cross the street.

• All children and adults (all you humans!) need to wear bike helmets when riding bicycles. Understand the risks of motorized bicycles. “More than 95% of individuals killed in bicycle accidents were not wearing a helmet, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Injury Fact Book.”

  Mayo Clinic

• Bikers (including children) are responsible for obeying road signs including stop signs. A lot of kids around here blow through stop signs as if they don't apply to them. In Spring of 2021, in our very own neighborhood, a teenager on a bicycle didn’t stop at a stop sign and was hit by a vehicle. This teen went to the ER. Stop at stop signs and remember to wear your helmet! Also, it’s not only the law, it’s safer to ride bikes with the flow of traffic. Make sure you are on the right side of the street and headed in the correct direction.

• Per Utah state you must be age 14 or older to drive a golf cart. We sometimes see kids WAY younger than that driving golf carts around on the road…and they usually have friends or younger siblings riding as passengers. Stay safe!

• The Red Cross recommends no children under 5 should go in the hot tub. Children this young cannot cope physically with the heat, which may cause hypothermia and other harmful effects. Small children have smaller bodies than adults and will overheat much more quickly. Especially toddlers, babies, and the elderly cannot regulate their proper body temperature as well as youth and adults, and are also at high risk for heat stroke which can result in long term complications and be fatal.

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• From Dr. Monroe’s pool safety class: At the pool, consider assigning a “pool watcher”. This person’s only job is to watch the water. Do not engage with your cell phone (time disappears!) or in deep conversation at the pool when you are supervising children. Your job is to keep the kids safe. Many people don’t realize that drowning can happen in seconds/minutes and is often silent - the victim cannot call out for help when drowning. Severe brain damage and even death can occur within minutes. It can be helpful to have a lanyard necklace or physical reminder for the person assigned as “pool watcher” and take turns for about 30 minutes each.

• “Playground safety: If allowing children to play on equipment that is not on your property, make sure it is safe and in good condition. Supervise young children at all times. Establish playground rules. For example, on the swings, just one person on the swing at a time, hold on with both hands, no standing or kneeling allowed.” Mayo Clinic

• Be conscientious about the time children are left in vehicles, even when getting ready to go or arriving at a destination, especially in the summer heat. Pay attention to babies and toddlers, they can get overheated quickly. They say about 80% of your body heat escapes from your collar bone and above, so to keep warm in the winter put on a hat…in the summer do the opposite…skipping the hat can help you stay cooler.