Parents do their best to protect their children, keep them safe at home and teach them how to be safe in the world.  But accidents do happen.  If your child is injured, you have the important job of getting them medical care and helping them cope with related emotional problems.  You know your children best and are in the best position to see how well they are coping and when they might need extra care.

When your child is confronted with an accident injury that requires immediate medical care, you may find yourself in the Emergency Room of your local hospital.  To get quality care, you will need to be work with the medical team and be supportive of your child.

The ER can be a stressful frightening place for both injured children and their parents. You may be extremely worried and filled with questions, so good communication with the medical team is essential for your peace of mind and the best possible treatment for your child.

Here are some tips for a successful ER visit:

1. Ask questions. Make sure you understand the answer. If you are not sure, let the medical team know and ask again.
2. Stay with your child as much as possible. Ask permission to be with your child during medical tests and procedures.  You are the best person to help your child get through the experience. Be calm and reassuring.
3. Make sure the medical team knows about your child’s pre-existing medical conditions, including any special needs, fears, or allergies.
4. Be your child’s advocate. Stay involved in your child’s care and decisions about treatment.  Make sure the team knows everything they need to about the accident, and always tell them if your child is in pain or needs their attention.  Explain to your child what is happening; be honest and reassuring.
5. Help your child communicate about his or her needs. For example, if your child is in pain, let the medical team know.  Allow your child to express fears or feelings and to talk directly with the team. As much as possible, let your child answer, but don’t force him or her to talk. Be there to listen when your child is ready.
6. Take care of yourself. You need to be healthy if you are going to be strong for your child.  Get the support you need from family and friends, eat well, and get some sleep.

In the days following the injury, many children will feel upset, stressed, or worried.  This is when they will need a little extra support from family and friends.

Seat belts save lives. That’s why public service campaigns for “Buckle up, It’ the Law” and  “Click it or Ticket” keep reminding motorists to always use seat belts.

These campaigns, coupled with tougher traffic laws and enforcement, have had an impact. The vast majority of adults now make it a habit to buckle their seat belts whenever they are in a car. Moreover, most parents are using car seats for children from newborns to early teens, to make sure they are protected while riding in a car.

Traffic safety statistics and research confirm that seat belts and car seats do protect people from being thrown from the car in an auto accident and keep them from being tossed around inside the car during a crash or a sudden stop.

So what about your dog?  For all the same reasons we need to be safe inside our cars, so do our dogs.  Here are some tips for keeping everyone, including your pet, safe while riding in your car.

• Never let your dog ride in the front seat, no matter how much it enjoys it.  Pets riding in the front seat can be thrown into the windshield if you make a sudden stop or get into an auto accident.
• Secure your pet in the car. Just like a person, an unrestrained pet can interfere with driving and become a hazardous projectile during a crash or sudden stop.  It could hit the windshield, injure a passenger, block the driver’s vision, or fall down by the gas and brake pedals, and cause an accident.

• Crates or sturdy pet carriers are the ideal way to restrain pets in cars. They provide similar protection as a child safety seat does for your kids.  Secure the crate so it does not fly forward or flip over in case of a sudden stop or accident.
• If you can’t fit a crate in your car, the next best thing is a pet harness that buckles into the seat belt and restrains your dog the same way as a seat belt does for you.
• Don’t allow your pet to ride with their head outside the window, because it’s dangerous for the dog and for you.  It can lead to an eye injury or getting hit in the head by a flying object. An open window might even tempt your dog to jump out of the car into oncoming traffic.
• Never let your dog ride in the back of an open truck. This is extremely dangerous practice, which can lead to severe injuries or death. It can also result in an auto accident,  if your dog jumps into traffic.

Overall, the safest way to travel in a moving vehicle is to use some type of safety restraint.  It makes no difference if you are an adult, a child, or a family pet – seat belts do save lives. Whenever you travel with your dog, keep it safe by putting it in the back seat in a secured crate, or in a harness attached to a seat buckle.

Now that the school year is in full swing, it’s a great time to get involved in your child’s safety, while going to and from school. In your home, morning may be a hectic time, as you get yourself ready for work, get the kids ready for school, and make sure everyone is out the door on time and safely. No matter how your children get to school, by bus, carpool, bicycle, or walking, there are ways you can make their travel fun, and protect them from a car accident injury.

Get involved

1. Volunteer at the school to direct traffic, assist kids onto buses, or monitor loading zones.
2. Distribute drop off and pick up information to promote the designated procedures and safety areas.
3. Ask your school how best to get involved.

Join a carpool

1. Join with your neighbors and other parents to share driving duties. This will take cars off the road, ease congestion at busy times, make drop off and pick up easier. Besides, it’s environmentally green!

Have kids walk to and from school

1. This is a great way to help kids get fresh air and exercise, and stay healthy.
2. It reduces the number of cars around the school and neighborhood lowering the risk of an auto related accident.
3. Always accompany the younger kids on their walk. This will give you an opportunity to exercise while teaching your kids about safety.
4. Riding a bike to school also is a great alternative, if you have taught your child about bicycle safety and identified travel routes with traffic control devices.