Until school starts up again in September there are many more children outside. In urban areas like Toronto, road safety is a primary concern as children, cars and bicycles are all sharing the road. Our previous blog post covered bicycle safety including use of helmets and parents or caregivers staying close to children on roads. 

 

Pedestrian safety is another aspect of road safety. It's important to remind children to cross at crosswalks or lights, to only walk when you are signaled to do so or when cars have stopped at crosswalks, and to look both ways for cars.

 

The prevalence of ice cream trucks at this time of year, and the excitement with which children run toward them, is another area of concern. Unfortunately we at Carranza LLP have first-hand experience with this, and we urge parents and caregivers to remind their children to always look both ways before crossing a road toward an ice cream truck. (Parents should also know that by law, ice cream trucks are required to park in a safe way so that the risk to children in a road is minimized.)

 

Pools and lakes are a great way to cool down in hot weather, and of course they require constant vigilance. Keep children who can't swim away from water unless they are accompanied by an adult. Even children who can swim should not be left alone in water.

 

Playgrounds are a lot of fun in any weather, but in summer surfaces can become very hot, so check them before children sit down. Also children should be wearing playground-safe clothing that won't get caught when they are playing but that covers their legs when they are on a slide, for example.

 

Of course summer means sun and heat, so wearing sunscreen and drinking extra water to stay hydrated are important reminders as well.

 

It's not just children we need to think about when it comes to being safe in the summer. Everyone should wear sunscreen when outdoors and to stay hydrated. It's also important during this time of barbecues and visits to cottages that we do not drink and drive - and to be ever vigilant of the fact that summer means there are more people, bicycles and cars out on the roads.

 

Enjoy the rest of the summer. Have fun, and be safe!