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Summer Childhood memories are flavored with fun summertime activities including trips to the beach, walks to the ice cream shop and rides around the neighborhood. But you and your kids enjoy the seemingly carefree elements of summer, emergency room doctors know it as "trauma season." This summer children ages 14 and under will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times for serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, drownings, bike crashes, pedestrian incidents, falls and other hazards. More than 2,500 of these children will die. On this Page:
 Tragedies peak during the summer months (May to August) because children are supervised less, have more free time and engage in more outdoor activities. Don't take a vacation from safety. Close supervision, proper protective gear, and other simple prevention steps will help your child avoid danger.Why Kids Are at Risk: Nearly half (42 percent) of all unintentional injury-related deaths occur from May to August. The greatest summertime risks include drownings, bike crashes, falls, pedestrian incidents and motor vehicle crashes. July is the deadliest time for childhood unintentional injury; 12 percent of unintentional injury-related deaths occur during this month alone. Older children experience the greatest increase in unintentional injury-related death during the summer months. This is primarily because children ages 10 to 14 tend to engage in more risky behavior and are presumably given more freedom from their parents. Young school-age children ages 5 to 9 are also at high risk because they lack the skills to make clear judgements necessary to bike, walk, swim and play safely without adult supervision. Many parents of children this age also fail to restrain them properly in booster seats in motor vehicles, which can lead to severe injuries or even death in the event of a car crash. Summer injury peaks are less pronounced in mild-weather regions of the country. Temperate climates enable children to spend more time outdoors; therefore, injuries in these regions tend to be distributed more evenly throughout the entire year. Drowning - From 1991 to 1996, 6,237 children ages 14 and under died from drowning. Of these deaths, two-thirds occurred in the summer. Drowning occurs more often during July than any other month. The increase in deaths may be attributed to the number of children out of school during July, as well as the likelihood of warm, long days. Bike - From 1991 to 1996, 1,547 children ages 14 and under died from an unintentional bike-related incident. Of these deaths, more than half occurred during the summer. Falls - From 1991 to 1996, 801 children died from a fall. Of these children, almost half died during the summer. Pedestrian - From 1991 to 1996, 6,018 children ages 14 and under died as a result of an unintentional pedestrian-related injury. Of these deaths, more than 40 percent occurred during the summer. Car - From 1991 to 1996, 8,263 children died from a motor vehicle crash. Of these deaths, more than 40 percent occurred during the summer. Protecting Your Family: Your kids love summer! They don't have to go to school, they can stay up late and best of all ? they have all day to play. Follow the safety tips below to make sure their happy memories are also safe ones. Ride Safe!
Walk Safe!
Injury to kids during the summer affects not only individual families, but entire communities. Share the knowledge you've learned about protecting kids with other family, neighbors and friends. This summer, be on guard for protecting your children, as well as other children you know. Explore specific ways you can help prevent injuries to children when they are child passengers, bicyclists or skaters, swimmers, walkers or athletes. Kids will be kids -- but with your help, they can be SAFE KIDS! As part of National SAFE KIDS Week 2001 (May 5-12), Founding Sponsor Johnson & Johnson and the more than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions across the country spread the summer safety message by hosting thousands of family safety fairs and other community events. Parents, caregivers and kids will have the opportunity to learn about key risks to children through interactive, colorful displays, activities and games. For Parents: |
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