Navigate
Page: Ride Safe -
Cars
When it comes to bike, skateboard & ATV injuries,
wearing a helmet is the best way to prevent serious and permanent damage to
your brain. And in case you haven’t
noticed a healthy functioning brain is a pretty necessary part of your
life. Wearing a helmet may not be what
everyone else is doing, and being like everyone else is important to you. So go ahead and be like everyone else, just
be sure to let your parents know who can have your skateboard/bike, cell phone,
video games, & MP3 player. Kinda
harsh? Well, you really won’t need any
of that stuff if you suffer a serious brain injury. So maybe you should read about being different (smart) and wearing a helmet:
Buy a helmet that meets or exceeds
current safety standards developed by the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission.
Contact the Tucson fire Department Public Education Department information on
low or no cost bike helmet programs in your area (520)
791-4502
Do the "Eyes, Ears and Mouth" check:
EYES check: Position the helmet on your
head. Look up and you should see the bottom rim of the helmet (one to two
fingers above the eyebrows).
EARS check: Make sure the straps
of the helmet form a "V" under your ears when buckled. The
strap should be snug but comfortable.
MOUTH check: Now open your mouth
as wide as you can! Do you feel the helmet hug your head? If not,
tighten those straps!
Ride
Safe – Ride Smart!
So you
have your helmet on…EXCELLENT! But
let’s talk about how and where to ride because riding safe and smart will also
keep you from getting hurt.
Crossing the
Street
When
crossing the street with wheels you should always:
Look left
Look right
Look left
again
Getting
into this habit will also make you an excellent and safe vehicle driver!
Don’t ride
across the street - always walk your wheels across the street.
Left, Right, Stop!
It
is important that you know how to use hand signals when riding. You gotta let us car drivers know what you
plan to do. Always use your left hand when
making signals:
LEFT TURN RIGHT
TURN STOP
Hey,
even these black and white traffic dudes are wearing helmets!!
<<Back to Top of
Page
SAFETY IN CARS
Driving in a car is always a risk. Developing good habits when you are a passenger can lead to you being an awesomely safe driver. So let’s start with seatbelts.
The Hype:
“I don't need a safety belt
when I'm traveling at low speeds or going on a short trip."
The Truth:
More than 80 per cent of all
accidents happen at speeds less than 40 mph. Traffic deaths involving
non-belted occupants of cars have been recorded at as low as 12 mph. That's
about the speed you'd be driving in a parking lot.
Three out of four accidents
causing death occur within 25 miles of home. So it makes sense to belt up
whenever and wherever you are going in a car.
The Hype:
"When I have my lap belt
fastened, I don't need to fasten my shoulder belt."
Well, it may seem more
comfortable to slide that shoulder strap down, and it's true that a lap belt
will protect you from serious injury. But a shoulder keeps your head and chest
from striking the steering wheel, dashboard, and windshield in the event of a
crash.
The Hype:
"I might be saved if I'm
thrown clear of the car in an accident."
Uhm, really, really not
true. Your chances of being killed are
almost 25 times greater if you're thrown from the car. The force from a car
crash can fling you as much as 150 feet --about 15 car lengths. Maybe good if you are competing in a long
jump competition, but definitely not good when it comes to riding or driving
vehicles.
The Hype:
"If I wear a safety belt,
I might be trapped in a burning or submerged car!"
May seem pretty intense to think
about being belted into a car that is on fire or sinking into water. But less than one-half of 1 per cent of all
injury-producing collisions involve fire or submersion. But if fire or submersion does occur,
wearing a safety belt can save your life. If you're involved in a crash without
your safety belt, you might be stunned or knocked unconscious by striking the
interior of the car. Then your chances of getting out of a burning or submerged
car would be far less.
The Hype:
"It takes too much time and
trouble to fasten my safety belt."
Do we even need to think about
this one? C’mon you all have fast
fingers – just buckle up with all the speed and intensity you all use when
texting your friends.
What’s a few seconds out of
your life compared to no life at all?
So please….BELT UP!!!