SUMMER SAFETY
Simple Tips for a Safe Summer

Keeping your kids safe -- by talking with them about safety and practicing what you preach -- could help avoid a hospital visit. Gwen Campbell, RN, Manager of Trauma Services and Emergency Management at Northwest, shares these tips to keep your kids safe this summer and year-round.

Model Good Driving Habits
Teenage drivers are at a higher risk for car crashes than any other age group. Protect your young driver by setting and enforcing strict limits on car privileges. The two absolutes: Always wear a seat belt. Never drink and drive.

Children need to see you following these rules, too. "If you buckle your kids up but don't wear your own seat belt, you are sending the wrong message," Ms. Campbell says. "Your kids imitate what they see you do. Actions speak louder than words."

Don't allow inexperienced teen drivers to drive at night, in bad weather, on high-speed roads or with fellow teenage passengers who might distract them.

Encourage Safe Splashing
When it's hot outside, there's nothing like a refreshing swim to cool you down. Some pool safety basics include:

• Watch children closely in the water, even if they know how to swim.
• Always keep younger children at arm's length.
• Don't rely on a life vest or inflatable toy to keep a child safe in the water.
• If you have a private pool, secure it with a fence or pool cover. "Unsupervised toddlers can get into private pool areas. This could have tragic results," Ms. Campbell says.
• At public pools, swim only in areas with an on-duty lifeguard. Read and obey all pool rules and make sure your kids do the same.
• Dive only off the end of a diving board -- never from the side of the pool.

If you or your child suffers a traumatic injury, turn to Northwest -- the region's only advanced (Level II) trauma center. Learn more at www.nwtexashealthcare.com.

1501 S. Coulter, Amarillo, TX 79106 (806) 354-1000