Fourth of July is approaching, and while it is a fun holiday, we here at Arizona DUI Services want to give you some safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe and sound. There are a lot of different activities families participate in on Independence Day, some people like to cool off in the lakes, some folks like to party and barbeque, and others like to watch and shoot off fireworks; so there are numerous safety tips to cover.
Fourth of July is approaching, and while it is a fun holiday, we here at Arizona DUI Services want to give you some safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe and sound. There are a lot of different activities families participate in on Independence Day, some people like to cool off in the lakes, some folks like to party and barbeque, and others like to watch and shoot off fireworks; so there are numerous safety tips to cover.
The most iconic and probably most popular activity on Independence Day is shooting off fireworks. It’s a blast and is fun to do, but they can be extremely dangerous to you and your family. You shouldn’t ever point a firework at a person, and that’s pretty obvious. Although what many people don’t know is that they should never point sparklers at people either; they are just as dangerous as fireworks. Only light fireworks in dry, non-flammable areas. 50,000 fires occur every year because of fireworks. Lighting multiple fireworks at once can be dangerous as well. Lastly, never let younger children handle fireworks (ADT, 2019). An overlooked area of safety on Fourth of July is protecting our furry friends. More pets are lost on this one day than any other day of the year (Cision, 2015). To keep our pets safe, it’s a good idea to get them inside. Animals are most likely going to become anxious with large crowds around and loud fireworks going off. Put your pet inside, in a secure room and then secure the rest of your property. Put your fireworks up and away where your pets can’t reach them, the chemicals in them could be fatal to our four-legged friends (ASPCA, 2019).
Another popular activity on Independence Day is boating. While it is fun to go out on the lake, watch the fireworks and have a good time, boating on Fourth of July can be dangerous. More than one third of all boating accidents and fatalities in a year occur during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. When boating always wear a life jacket. 80 percent of those who died in boating accidents were not wearing life preservers. Many boaters go out on the water at night to watch fireworks, so always test your navigation lights beforehand to prevent any crashes. Prepare and stock up on any emergency supplies you may need, for example, a flare. Always keep lookout for other boats and boaters to prevent an accident. Before leaving the shore, make a plan with a friend on shore to keep track of time and make sure the boat is back by a reasonable time. Keep track of all your passengers in case one goes overboard. Lastly, alcohol should never be consumed while operating the boat. Similar to a DUI, you could receive up to one year in prison and up to a 100,000 dollar fine for driving a boat intoxicated (American Boating Association, 2019).
Fourth of July is a great holiday to party and celebrate our freedom, but that doesn’t mean we are free to drink and drive. In 2015, 146 people were killed on Independence Day in drunk driving accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, n.d). More beer is sold on the Fourth of July than any other holiday; so if you are going to drink, don’t drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 40 percent of the deaths in car accidents between 2007 and 2011 happened on the Fourth of July (Ellen Hall, 2019). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that those involved in fatal car accidents on July 4, 2012, had higher impairment rates at night than those during the day (Brett Snider, 2014).
This Independence Day pay attention to your surroundings and be cognizant. Only you can keep you and your loved ones safe.
References
ADT (2019) Fourth of July Safety Tips
https://www.adt.com/resources/4th-of-july-safety-tips
American Boating Association (2019) Danger Ahead: 4th of July is the Busiest, and Often Deadliest Time of the Boating Season
http://americanboating.org/safety-danger-ahead.asp
ASPCA (2019) Fourth of July Pet Safety Tips
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/fourth-july-safety-tips
Brett Snider, FindLaw (2014) DUIs and the Fourth of July: 4 Facts Every Driver Should Know
Cision (2015) New Infographic: More Pets are Lost On July 4th than any Other Day of The Year
Ellen Hall, EsuranceOn (2019) DUI Statistics and the Fourth of July
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (n.d) Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
https://www.nhtsa.gov/drunk-driving/july-4th-celebrate-americasafe-and-sober
