sens | Emergency DepartmentNurses Offer Safety Tips your cell phone while driving is (NAPSA)—Oneof the most important gifts you can receive is the anotherrisky distraction. cift of safety. Accidents lead to about 20 million emergency In Your Community e A smart host or partygoer puts the emphasis on fun and departmentvisits a year. Here are some tips and reminders from the Emergency Nurses Association’s Institute for Injury Prevention/ Emergency Nurses CARE and the National Safety Council to keep you and your family out of the hospital: At Home Don’t leave burning candles unattended. Keep them away from trees, greenery, curtains and other flammable items. Shoveling snow increases your heart rate and blood pressure, so warm upfirst with somestretches, pace yourself and make sure you lift with your legs, not your back. People over 40 or who are inactive should be especially careful. On The Road e Prepare your car for winter. Check all systems as well astires, the battery and fluid levels. Be prepared for road emergencies with a properly inflated sparetire, wheel wrench, andtripod jack. Keep a shovel, jumpercables, tool kit, a warm blanket and a bag of salt or cat litter in the trunk of your vehicle. Other essential emergency supplies includereflec- tive triangles, first-aid kit, wind- shield cleaner, ice scraper, snow brush, bottled water and highenergy, non-perishable foods. conversation, not alcohol. If you're hosting, provide high-pro- tein foods like cheese, meats, fish and eggs. Have plenty of nonalcoholic beverages on hand—soft Be sure all children are in ageappropriate restraints. Going on a long trip? Share the drive to avoid road fatigue, and make frequent stops to stretch yourlegs. Buckle up—every trip, every time. Many states now haveprimary seat-belt laws, so you could be stopped andticketed if you and your passengers aren’t buckled up. e Be sure all children are in the back seat in age-appropriate restraints. Infants and toddlers should always be properly restrained in child safety seats. Don’t move an older child into an adult shoulder harness until he or she is at least 4’9” and weighs at least 80 pounds. e Distracted driving is a factor drinks, juices, coffee, tea and bot- tled water are popular alterna- tives. Respect your guests’ wishes; don’t push unwanted drinks on them. e If youre a partygoer, be sure a designated driver is part of your croup. If you’re going alone, arrange ahead of time to have a friend or relative act as a stand-by chauffeur if you think you may overindulge. e If you’re the parent of a party-going teen, contact the host’s parents to makesure that no alcohol or drugs will be permitted and that a parent will be present. e Discuss with your teen how he or she will get home from the party. Assure him that you or a trusted friend can be called at any time to provide a ride home. Help your teen develop stra- in 20 to 30 percent of all crashes. tegies for saying “no” to cope with you, pick things up off the floor, or perform personal grooming. Using You can find moresafety tips at the Emergency Nurses Association Web site at www.ena.org. Something as simple as tuning your radio or looking away from the road can cause an accident. When driving, don’t reach behind unexpected situations, such as unwanted sexual attention or pressure to use drugsor alcohol.
