Oklahoma Safety Council

Back to School: Pedestrian Safety Tips

Release Date: 08-26-2008
Approximately 5,900 pedestrians are killed by automobiles every year... 84,000 suffer nonfatal injuries. Almost one-third of these victims are children under the age of 15 yet they represent only about 15% of the U.S. population.

By following the few safety tips listed below, you can protect yourself and your children:

-It is critical to teach children to look left-right-left before crossing streets. -Cross only at designated crossings. Entering traffic mid-block or from between parked cars is dangerous.

-Teach children to never dart out into traffic. For your information.

-A growing number of communities are implementing measures to make their environments more walkable, ranging from including sidewalks on all newly constructed streets, to implementing widespread traffic-calming measures. -The physical environment does impact how much and how safely residents can and will walk. In research comparing communities with suburban sprawl (few sidewalks and inaccessible pedestrian destinations like large malls surrounded by parking lots) to traditional communities (with plentiful sidewalks and inviting downtown commercial areas), it was found there were three times as many pedestrian trips in the communities designed with pedestrians in mind.

Release Date: 08-01-2008
For some 22 million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. Unfortunately, each year many children are injured and several are killed in school bus incidents. Over the past six years, about 70% of the deaths in fatal school bus related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus and 20% were pedestrians. About 4% were school bus passengers and 2% were school bus drivers. Of the pedestrians killed in school bus related crashes over this period, approximately 77% were struck by the school bus.

-When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.

-Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.

-When on the bus, find a seat and sit down. Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed.

-Keep aisles clear -- books or bags are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.

-Before you reach your stop, get ready to leave by getting your books and belongings together. -At your stop, wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat. Then, walk to the front door and exit, using the hand rail.

-If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver.

-Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross. -When the driver signals, walk across the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.

-Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.

-Children should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.

-If students' vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles -- then stop, and look left-right-left again.

Release Date: 08-01-2008
Sunburn, skin cancers, and other sun-related adverse health effects are largely preventable when sun protection is practiced early and consistently. Despite the fact that suntanning and burning increase skin cancer risks, most Americans do not protect themselves from the sun's damaging rays.

The best sun protection is provided when all the sun-safe behaviors are practiced together. Sun protection habits include:

-Limit sun exposure during the hours when the sun's rays are the strongest, 10am to 4pm. To the extent possible, people should limit their exposure to the sun during these hours and practice all of the sun protective behaviors. Your shadow is an indicator of the sun's intensity. If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun is at its highest intensity.

-Refer to the daily UV index when planning outdoor events. The UV Index is a daily forecast of the intensity of the sun's UV rays. The Index indicates the risk of overexposure to skin-damaging UV radiation and can be used to help plan outdoor activities to minimize overexposure.

-Seek shade whenever possible. Shade structures such as trees and umbrellas provide year round protection. Although trees do not offer complete sun protection, they provide about 60 percent blockage from the sun's rays. -Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and long-sleeved, tightly woven clothing. Clothing can physically block out the sun's harmful rays and should be one of the first lines of defense against sun exposure. Sunglasses should block out 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation to protect the eyes from damage. Hats are the best way to minimize UV radiation exposure to the face, head, ears, and neck.

-Use broad-spectrum sunscreens whose active ingredients block UVA and UVB rays. The Sun Protective Factor (SPF) should be a minimum of 15. Sunscreens should be used every day, including cloudy days. They should be applied liberally and evenly before going out into the sun and should be applied frequently, especially after swimming.

-Avoid tanning salons. Artificial UV radiation is just as bad for your skin as sunlight. Most tanning devices use UVA rays which have been shown to go deeper into the skin and contribute to premature wrinkling and skin cancer.

-Limit exposure to the reflective surfaces like snow and water. UV rays can be reflected off of sand, tile, water, snow, and buildings. It is important to practice all the sun protective behaviors even when you are in the shade.

Release Date: 08-01-2008
West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness transmitted to humans primarily by mosquitoes. Symptoms of WNV often go unnoticed. In fact, about 80 percent of people infected with WNV show no signs of illness. Up to 20 percent of those who are ill exhibit mild symptoms, such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a rash on the chest, stomach and back. These symptoms can last for as little as a few days.

About one in 150 people infected with WNV will become severely ill. Symptoms of illness can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last for several weeks and cause permanent neurological damage.

Preventing WNV: Although some 150 species of mosquitoes are found in the United States, just one species, Culet pippins, is largely responsible for transmitting WNV. Mosquitoes contract WNV by biting infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals they bite. Mosquitoes tend to breed in warm weather near standing water, including flooded areas, stagnant ponds and even flower pots, buckets and barrels.

To help eliminate mosquitoes and protect against WNV, the National Safety Council recommends:

-Empty standing water in old tires, cemetery urns, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or other containers.

-Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted plant trays at least once a week.

-Cover as much skin as possible when in mosquito-heavy areas by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks.

-Use an insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin on skin not covered by clothing.

-Spray insect repellent on the outside of your clothing(mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing). Don’t spray insect repellent on skin that is clothed. -Be extra vigilant when mosquitoes are most active, from dusk to dawn.