Bike and Pedestrian Safety

Choking, Suffocation and Strangulation Prevention

Drownings can occur during swimming, boating, hunting and fishing, and even while taking a bath. In 2001, 859 children ages 14 and under drowned and nearly 2,700 required emergency room treatment for unintentional drowning-related injuries.

Approximately 10% of childhood drownings take place in bathtubs; the majority of these happen in the absence of adult supervision. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water and are therefore at risk of drowning in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, diaper pails, toilets, spas and hot tubs.

Approximately 70% of deaths associated with boating incidents are from drowning. Most incidents involve people who don't expect to end up in the water, but fall overboard or end up in the water when the boat sank. Children are particularly susceptible to this problem. In many states, children are required to wear PFDs whenever they are aboard boats.

Canadian Statistics: Between 1997 and 1998, 162 children ages 14 and under drowned and an additional 68 were hospitalized for near drownings.

Water Safety Game

Water Safety Game example Make sure your children know how to keep safe around water. Take two pieces of paper and have your children write DO on one, and DO NOT on the other. Have them fill in the beginning of your sentence by holding up either their DO or DO NOT sign. For example, a parent would say, "follow water safety rules." In response, the child would hold up their DO sign. For younger children, make signs with a check mark and an X.

Some Water Safety Examples:
DO - swim only if there is a lifeguard or if a grown-up gives you permission to swim.
DO - take swimming lessons.
DO - follow water safety rules.
Non-Reader DO - swim with a buddy.
DO - wade into the water feet first if you're swimming in a lake, pond or river.
DO - wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when you are in a boat.
DO - get out of water right away if you hear thunder or see lightning.
DO - check with a grown-up before playing or skating on ice.
DO NOT - stand up in a boat.
DO NOT - sit or stand on the edge of a boat or let your arms hang over the edge.
DO NOT - eat candy or chew gum when you are swimming.
DO NOT - swim if you are tired.
DO NOT - dive off piers or rocks.
DO NOT - run around a swimming pool, dock or pier.

Perfect PFDs

A PFD is a device to help you float and it can save your life if you fall in the water by mistake. Boy in PFD PFDs add buoyancy to your body (allow you to float), hold your head and body higher in the water so you can see better, and help keep your body warm. But remember, air-filled swimming aids such as inner tubes, water-wings, and inflatable rafts are not substitutes for approved PFDs. Children using air-filled swimming aids should always be supervised by an adult within arm's reach.

Baby in PFD The best way for your children to understand the importance of PFDs is to show them. Visit a pool (public, residential or hotel), lake or beach with your children. Have them float on their backs - see how long they can float before getting tired. Then, repeat the exercise wearing a PFD (follow manufacturer's instructions on proper wear of the PFD). Ask your children if the PFD made it easier to float and see what's going on around them.

Explain to your children what a PFD is and why wearing one is so important when boating, jet-skiing, tubing, or water-skiing. Call your local American Red Cross chapter for more information on U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFDs, or visit their Web site at www.redcross.org.

PFD huddle example
PFD Buddies

Have several children put on PFDs and float in a "huddle" position to practice staying afloat as a group in case of an emergency. Have the younger children get in the middle of the group while everyone else gets as close as possible, holding on to one another by wrapping their legs together and putting their arms around their "buddies." This activity will stress the importance of staying in a group, which helps everyone stay warm and enables rescuers to see people in a large body of water.

Data Sources: American Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross Society, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, National SAFE KIDS Campaign®, Safe Kids Canada, United States Lifesaving Association.
Graphic Source: PFD huddle - hypothermia.org