As Summer Approaches Focus Is on Kids' Safety

April 2008

With warm weather just around the corner, many kids are anxious to spend as much time as possible outside. Though sports and other outdoor recreational activities provide a fun-filled outlet for children, they also present increased safety hazards for which parents need to prepare.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents and caregivers to properly equip children for the outdoors. Helmets, knee, and elbow pads should always be worn for skateboarding, ATV riding, and other potentially hazardous outdoor activities. Wearing a helmet while biking can reduce a child's risk of head injury by 85 percent.

In 2006, nearly 240,000 children were treated for bicycle-related injuries. Also in 2006, there were over 220,000 football emergency room-related injuries. In 2004, ATVs accounted for 149 deaths in children under the age of 15.