You may not often think about the effect safety has on your health, but accidental injury, motor vehicle collisions, fires, violent crime, and firearms constitute major causes of death and disability in the United States. Working in your home and community to prevent accidental and violent injury is an important but often neglected responsibility. Safety issues arise in countless places, from the dead battery in the smoke detector to the seat belt left unbuckled in the car. Drinking alcohol greatly increases your risk of injury. For example, men have a much higher risk of accidental drowning than do women, and alcohol is implicated inabout 40 percent of such incidents. Drinking alcohol also heightens the risk of accidents from motor vehicle collisions, including those involving motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and bicycles. You can do a lot to make your home safer. Many home safety hazards are easy to overlook but also easy to fix. Check all areas of your home to make sure that electrical and telephone cords are unframed, rugs and mats have nonslip backings, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order, and space heaters and wood-burning stoves are properly installed and functioning. Have an emergency exit plan and practice it with all members of your family. Keep hallways and stairways free of clutter. Place a fire extinguisher in the
kitchen. Make sure that your power tools and any flammable liquids or poisonous chemicals are properly labeled and stored in your basement, garage, and workshop. Home security measures can go a long way toward making your home even safer. Install secure, deadbolt locks on all doors and windows and make sure your entry doors are constructed of solid materials. Outdoor lighting kept on at night discourages intruders from approaching your home. When you are away from home, ask a neighbor to pick up your newspapers and mail, and put a timer on some indoor lights to simulate a lived-in appearance. Join or organize a neighborhood watch group so you and your neighbors can look out for each other’s property.
When you are out early in the morning or late at night, stay alert for potential threats. Always keep your wallet inside your coat pocket or front pants pocket, not in your back pocket. Keep your car in good running order, and never pick up hitchhikers. If someone does try to rob you, give up your wallet; it’s less important than your life. Be sure to report the crime to the police. You can easily incorporate such protective measures into your daily routine to make your life more safety-conscious. This section of the book looks at the causes of accidental injury and suggests practical safety measures you can take to prevent injury to yourself and others in your home and community.
Safe-Driving Tips
The motor-vehicle death rate has been declining in recent years, but motor vehicle collisions still cause more than 40,000 deaths in the United States each year and account for $200 billion in annual economic losses. Take responsibility for your own safety and that of your family when driving a car, sport utility vehicle, van, or motorcycle by following these safe-driving tips each and every time you drive:
• Always wear a seat belt, and position it correctly. Wear the lap belt snugly and place it low across your hips, never across your stomach or abdomen. Position the shoulder belt across your chest and collarbone. Don’t wear the shoulder belt under your arm; it could break your ribs or cause internal injuries in a collision.
• Always place a child weighing fewer than 40 pounds in a properly installed child safety seat. Place the seat in the middle of the backseat. Infants under 20 pounds must ride in a safety seat that faces the rear of the car; they should also ride in the backseat.
• Keep your gas tank full and your car in good running condition. Keep the windows, lights, and mirrors clean and free of ice.
• Stay within the speed limit. Drive slower in bad weather or under unsafe road conditions.
• Drive defensively. Stay far enough behind the car in front of you to be able to stop safely, and stay even farther behind a reckless or erratic driver.
• In bad weather, find out the current road conditions and weather forecast before you leave. Leave early to allow extra time to reach your destination.
• Keep an emergency driving kit in your car. Some things to include in the kit are jumper cables, reflectors or road flares, jack, lug wrench, adjustable wrench, insulated pliers, insulated screwdrivers, all-purpose wire, duct tape, spare light fuses, spare fan belt, pocketknife, quart of oil, gallon of water, blanket, shovel, bag of sand, and first-aid kit. And make sure your spare tire is in good condition.
• Watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists, especially children and the elderly. Remember that pedestrians have the right of way at a crosswalk with no traffic control signal.
• Never drink alcohol and drive. Alcohol affects your judgment and timing. Always appoint a non drinking designated driver if you know you will be drinking.
• In rural areas, be alert for lowered speed limits when approaching towns or curves.
• Comply with no-passing zones. Look out for slowly moving farm machinery, as well as livestock and wildlife.
• Be extra cautious at railroad crossings. Never drive around lowered gates or flashing lights. Don’t drive onto a railroad crossing unless you are sure you can clear the tracks. If your vehicle stalls on a track, get everyone out of the car immediately.
• Don’t stay in the blind spots of large commercial trucks and buses. Large vehicles have long blind spots on each side of and directly behind them. If you cannot see one of the vehicle’s side view mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
• Take special precautions when driving a motorcycle. Always wear a helmet and bright clothing or reflective material so you can be seen clearly.
