U.S. – A child is 100 times more likely to drown in a pool than be killed by a gun.
Date: Jun 13, 2005 7:50 AM
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: 2005.06.12
EDITION: ONT
SECTION: Editorial
PAGE: A16

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When school is out, let the safe fun begin

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A 9-year-old girl, wading in a backyard pool without adult supervision,
slips into the deep end and drowns in front of horrified playmates.

A 15-year-old boy, bicycling with a friend, collides with a turning bus
and is crushed under its rear wheels. He dies on the way to hospital.

A 5-year-old boy, supervised only by a 9-year-old brother, falls from a
high-rise apartment balcony, plummeting 12 floors to his death.

Those are just three of the warm-weather tragedies that struck Toronto
children last year. There were others – many others – across the
country.

Summer can be a wonderful season for kids, but it also carries
significant risk.

Mishaps kill about 50 children every summer in Canada. Another 1,800
suffer serious injuries, according to Safe Kids Canada, an injury
prevention awareness program run by the Hospital for Sick Children in
Toronto.

Beyond the loss of young lives that can never be replaced, and beyond
the unremitting pain of anguished families, there lies an even deeper
tragedy Many of those summer deaths and injuries can readily be
prevented.

All of us, but especially parents, need to be more aware of the risks
run by children when pursuing everyday summer activities, such as
cycling, swimming and climbing on playground equipment. And all of us
should strive to better anticipate tragedy, and prevent it.

Sometimes, kids get no second chance. The wheels of a bus are
unforgiving. And water can kill in a matter of minutes.

Safe Kids Canada officials say the ability of young children to gauge
risks and make safe decisions is often misunderstood. Many toddlers are
fascinated by water but don’t appreciate its danger. Couple that lack of
awareness with a tot’s poorly developed sense of balance and it is easy
to see how a curious kid can fall into a pool and drown.

University of Chicago economist Steve Levitt, author of a best-selling
new book of statistical analysis, has shown that a backyard swimming
pool is more dangerous to youngsters than keeping a gun in the house.

Using data from the United States, a country where firearms are
prevalent, Levitt found that even in the U.S. a child is 100 times more
likely to drown in a pool than be killed by a gun.

Riding a bicycle also involves judgment. And Safe Kids Canada experts
warn that children under the age of 10 lack the reasoning and
decision-making skill to assess traffic risks.

Many youngsters, by that age, have been riding a bike for years.
Co-ordination and motor skills develop early. But that doesn’t mean
these kids are ready to take to the streets. Supervision is needed.

Society is taking steps to make summer safer. The Toronto District
School Board was recently vindicated in its expensive decision to rip
out old playground equipment five years ago and replace it with safer
models.

In the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers reported a
dramatic drop in children’s injury rates once old monkey bars and other
playground gear was replaced. Some of the reduction was tracked to the
new equipment itself. The rest occurred in the surrounding schoolyard,
which also underwent significant safety improvements as part of the
replacement program.

Injuries can be prevented, and some play areas are clearly better than
others. Safe Kids Canada experts urge parents with young children to
seek out playgrounds that have relatively low equipment for climbing,
and deep, soft surfaces instead of hard pavement.

Hot weather is here. Kids will soon be finishing school and plunging
into summer activities. They should be encouraged – but they must also
be better protected.