We cannot accept these injuries as just accidents that will happen. It is your responsibility to supervise your child. And Koop had instructions for children, too. Let me tell you kids, we want you to be active. We want you to get outdoors and enjoy the summer, but you need to wear your protective gear, and to take charge of your safety, too.
Children face a range of different risks as the weather gets warm.
Drowning, for example, is the greatest summer threat for children younger than 14, nearly doubling over the summer months. And the two-wheel scooters that are so popular now have become another common cause of injury. But many of these situations happen when kids aren't properly supervised or aren't wearing protective gear such as life jackets or helmets. Fences around the swimming pool can be a real lifesaver, too. Marty Eichelberger, MD, a trauma surgeon and president of the National Safe Kids Campaign, says medical science can only do so much.