Knowing and using safety information can help prevent serious injury.
Bicycle Facts |
Bicycle Tips |
Each year more than 50,000 bicyclists suffer serious brain
injuries, and many of them never recover.
Most bike crashes occur in parks and on bike paths
or driveways.
Most bike crashes occur in the summertime between
6 and 9 p.m.
A helmet is 85 percent effective in reducing the risk
of head injury.
Oregon law requires that young people age 16 and under
wear bike helmets while riding. |
Always wear a bike helmet.
Make sure your bike helmet is fitted properly.
Obey the same traffic laws that apply to cars:
Obey stop signs and
traffic lights.
Use hand signals before
making
a turn.
Ride single file on
the right side
of the road.
Look left, right, left
before entering
the road.
Never wear audio headphones while riding your bike
because you might not hear a car behind you.
|
Water Safety and Playground Facts |
Water Safety and Playground Tips |
In 1996, nearly 1,000 children younger than 15 years
of age drowed in the United States.1
Most drownings and near-drowings happen when a child
falls into a pool or is left alone near water.1
A total of 17 children drowned in Oregon in 1999.2
25-50% of adolescent and adult drownings involve alcohol.1
Each year, many kids get injured by falling on a
playground.
Contrary to what many people believe, drowning is
a quick and silent killer. In the time it takes to.
. .
. . .Cross the room for a towel (10 seconds), a
child in the bathtub can become submerged.
. . .Answer the phone (2minutes), that child can
lose consciousness.
. . .Sign for a package at the front dorr (4 to
6 minutes), a child submerged in the bathtub or pool
can sustain permanent brain damage.
1Oregon
Health Division
2Center
for Disease Control |
Never swim alone. Always swim with a buddy.
Enroll in a water safety course with your child.
Always supervise young children near water.
Wade into water before diving or jumping to check
water depth and feel for submerged objects such as rocks
or logs.
Fence and cover swimming pools and spas.
Do not drink alcohol while supervising children near
water.
Never drink alcohol before swimming or boating.
Children should always wear a certified life jacket
while boating or playing near water.
The law requires children age 12 and under to wear
a life jacket while boating.
Wait your turn for rides on playground equipment.
Don't play near the road or dart into the road to
get a ball.
Never fly a kite around trees or power lines, and
never climb to get it.
Always wear a helmet when batting during baseball games
and when rollerblading, skateboarding or riding your
bike. Wear other protective gear, such as elbow, wrist
and knee pads. |
Pedestrian Safety Facts |
Pedestrian Safety Tips |
More than 5,000 pedestrians died from motor vehicle collisions
in 1993.
Sixty-six percent of pedestrian deaths among children
younger than 13 happen between 3 and 6 p.m. |
Walk on sidewalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk on
the side of the road facing traffic so approaching drivers
will see you.
Before crossing a road, always stop and look left,
look right, then left again. Never dart into the street.
Cross at the green, and not in between.
If a ball or toy rolls into the street, you shouldn't
chase it. Instead, ask an adult to get it for you.
Obey traffic signs and signals at intersections and
railroad crossings.
If you must walk at night, be sure to wear light,
reflective clothing. |
Motor Vehicle Safety Facts |
Motor Vehicle Safety Tips |
In 1997, motor vehicle crashes were responsible for 64
percent of all head and spinal cord injuries in Oregon
that happened to 15- to 24-year-olds.
Intoxicated drivers are responsible for about 50 percent
of all crashes.
When used properly, seat belts reduce the risk of
fatal or serious injury by 55 percent.
Teenage drivers are involved in four times as many
fatal car crashes than other drivers.
Brain injury is the leading cause of death in motorcycle
crashes. |
Wear seat belts properly, and wear them every time you
ride in a car.
Do not exceed the speed limit.
Drive alcohol-free and drug-free, and never get into
a car when the driver has been drinking.
You should use seat belts even when a car has air
bags.
Kids under 12 years old should never ride in the front
seat of a car that has air bags.
The safest place for any child under age 12 is buckled
up in a safety seat or seat belt in the back seat
of a car.
Children should sit still and keep their head, arms
and legs inside the car.
Passengers
should talk and play quietly without disturbing the
driver. |
Weapons Safety Facts |
Weapons Safety Tips |
Every two hours, a child is killed with a loaded gun.
A gun at home is 43 times more likely to be used to
kill a family member or friend than a criminal intruder.
The risk of suicide is five times greater when a gun
is in the home.
The risk of domestic homicide is three times greater
when a gun is in the home. |
Guns are dangerous. If possible, avoid having any gun
in the home.
If you see a gun, do not touch it! Get a parent or
an adult right away.
If there are any guns in your home, ask your parents
to make sure the guns are unloaded and locked in a
safe storage area. And make sure your parents have
stored the bullets in another place.
Don't try to solve arguments with fights or violence.
Express your thoughts and feelings when you feel depressed.
|
Bystander Behavior Tips in an Emergency |
Call
911 for an ambulance.
Don't move the victim from a car unless fire is an
obvious danger.
Leave the victim's helmet on his or her head.
Stabilize the victim's head, preferably in a neutral
position.
Leave the victim in the water and allow them to float
face-up in a shallow area.
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View Think First Fact Cards. Click on the images below to enlarge.
| Brain Injury |
Spinal Cord Injury |
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Bicycle Safety |
Motor Vehicle Safety |
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