A few simple precautions can help prevent many common household accidents and keep your child safe around the house. Start today making your home safe using these tips:

• Make sure stairs are clearly lit. Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairways.
• Keep exits and passageways free of boxes, furniture and other tripping hazards. Regularly clear the floor of toys, games, magazines and other obstructions.
• Make sure you can see over the top of what you're carrying to avoid tripping.
• Make sure that all of your small rugs have slip-resistant backing. Put cut-to-fit rubber matting or two-sided tape on rugs that don't have their own backing.
• Mark sliding glass doors with decals or decorations. Someone could easily walk through what looks like an open door.
• Wipe up spilled water, grease or food peelings immediately to prevent slipping.
• Place a rubber mat or adhesive strip on the bathtub floor. This will reduce the possibility of slipping in the bathtub.
• Purchase bedroom night-lights for children and elderly people. Falls can happen easily in a dark bedroom.
• Wear shatterproof safety glasses when operating any power tool. If you wear eyeglasses, use safety glasses that fit over them.
• Never store inedible products in the same place as food. This may result in an accidental poisoning.
• Don't save medicine. Discard all leftover medications by flushing them down the toilet.

Wear the Proper Riding Gear
Despite the best prevention efforts, motorcycle crashes do occur. In a crash, the most important factor for reducing injury to a motorcyclist is personal protection. The proper riding gear—a helmet, eye protection, leather jackets and trousers, durable gloves, and proper footwear—can provide this personal protection.

Helmets
A helmet is the most important safety equipment a motorcyclist wears. Helmets are about 29 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. An un-helmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury than is a helmeted rider.
Motorcyclists and their passengers must wear an approved motorcycle helmet that meets or exceeds the international of safety.

Eye Protection
Since many motorcycles don't have windshields, riders must protect their eyes against insects, dirt, rocks, or other airborne matter. Even the wind can cause the eyes to tear and blur vision, and good vision is imperative when riding. Motorcycle operators should choose good quality goggles, glasses with plastic or safety lenses, or a helmet equipped with a face shield. Goggles, glasses, and face shields should be scratch free, shatterproof, and well-ventilated to prevent fog buildup. Only clear shields should be used at night since tinted shields reduce contrasts and make it more difficult to see. Even if the motorcycle has a windshield, eye protection is recommended.

Jackets and Trousers
Clothing worn when riding a motorcycle should provide some measure of protection from abrasion in the event of a crash. The clothing should be of durable material (for example, special synthetic material or leather). Jackets should have long sleeves. Trousers (not shorts) should not be baggy or flared at the bottom to prevent entanglement with the chain, kick starter, foot-pegs, or other protrusions on the sides of a motorcycle.
Note: Upper body clothing should be brightly colored. Some motorcyclists wear lightweight reflective orange or yellow vests over their jackets. Use of retro-reflective material on clothing, the helmet, and the motorcycle helps make the motorcyclist visible to other motorists, especially at night. Many vehicle/motorcycle crashes occur because the driver of the other vehicle failed to see the motorcyclist in time to avoid the crash.

Gloves
Durable, non-slip gloves are recommended to permit a firm grip on the controls. Leather gloves are excellent, as are special fabric gloves with leather palms and grip strips on the fingers. Gauntlet-type gloves keep air out of a motorcyclist's sleeves.

Footwear
Proper footwear affords protection for the feet, ankles, and lower parts of the legs. Leather boots are best. Durable athletic shoes that cover the ankles are a good second choice. Sandals, sneakers, and similar footwear should not be used since they provide little protection from abrasions or a crushing impact. Motorcyclists should avoid dangling laces that can get in their way.

How should you prepare a vehicle for driving under winter conditions?
Driving in winter weather - snow, ice, wet and cold - creates a great challenge for vehicles and drivers.
Keeping your vehicle in good technical repair reduces your overall chances for any mishap or disaster while driving - particularly in winter weather. To prepare your vehicle for winter driving give it a complete checkup. Look for the following:

• Brakes
• Tires
• Electrical System
• Fuel
• Heating/Cooling System

How should you drive in winter weather?

• Buckle up before you start driving. Keep your seat belt buckled at all times.
• SLOW DOWN! - posted speed limits are for ideal travel conditions. Driving at reduced speeds is the best precautionary measure against any misfortune while driving on slippery roads. "Black ice" is invisible.
• Be alert. Black ice will make a road look like shiny new asphalt. Pavement should look grey-white in winter.
• Do not use cruise control. Winter driving requires you to be in full control at all times.
• Reduce your speed while approaching intersections covered with ice or snow.
• Allow for extra travelling time or even consider delaying a trip if the weather is inclement.
• Drive with low-beam headlights on. Not only are they brighter than daytime running lights but turning them on also activates the tail lights. This makes your vehicle more visible.
• Lengthen your following distance behind the vehicle ahead of you. Stopping distance on an icy road is double that of stopping on a dry one.
• Stay in the right-hand lane except when passing and use turn signals when changing lanes.
• Steer with smooth and precise movements. Changing lanes too quickly and jerky steering while braking or accelerating can cause skidding.
• Consider getting off the road before getting stranded if the weather is worsening.
• Be patient and pass other cars only when it is safe to do so.

Driving Safety
Two out of three children learn about driving safety from their parents. But only half of parents always wear their seat belts when driving.

• Buckle up every time you're in the car, even on short trips: 75% of accidents occur within 25 miles of your home.
• While frontal air bags are effective in frontal collisions, they offer little or no protection in side impact collisions.
• Do not tailgate. Driving too close to the car in front of you is the leading cause of accidents.
• Avoid using your cell phone while driving, especially while there are children aboard.

Seat Belts
Keep in mind that seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belts fits him correctly. This is usually when the child is between 8 and 12 years of age. This means:

• The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
• The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the stomach.
• He is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with his legs bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip.

Other points to keep in mind when using seat belts:

• Make sure your child does not tuck the shoulder belt under her arm or behind her back.
• If there's only a lap belt, make sure it's snug and low on her thighs, not across the stomach. Try to get a lap and shoulder belt installed in your car by a dealer.
• Never allow anyone to "share" seat belts. All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts.
• The safest place for all children younger than 13 years of age is the back seat.

The Golden Rules of Car seat Safety

• Always use a car safety seat, starting with your baby's first ride home from the hospital.
• Never place a child in a rear-facing care safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has a passenger air bag.
• All children younger than 13 years old are safest in the back seat.
• Be a good role model - always wear your seat belt. This will help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
• Remember that each car safety seat is different. Read and keep the instructions that came with your seat, and follow them at all times.
• Take your kids and their car seats with you to the dealership when you're auditioning new family cars. Is there enough clearance for rear-facing seats in the backseat? Is there enough legroom for older kids in front-facing seats? Does each safety seat fit securely on the seat bottom cushion or is it likely to wiggle around?

Concern about cell phone safety is on the rise, due in part to the increased use of cell phones while driving. Most of us spend a considerable amount of time in our cars. Not surprisingly, we attempt to optimize the time we spend driving by doing other things, including using our cell phones.
However, cell phones can pose a serious health risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has determined that driver inattention is a primary or contributing factor in as many as 50 percent of all traffic accidents. While cell phones have many benefits, it is very important to remember road safety always comes first.

Obviously, there are some benefits to having a cell phone handy while driving:

• Makes it easier to call for help in an emergency.
• Roadside assistance is just a phone call away.

However, these benefits may be outweighed by the potential danger of driver inattention. Responsible use of cell phones can limit accidents and protect your safety.

• When available, use a hands-free device, or purchase an earpiece attachment so that you can keep both hands on the steering wheel.
• Do not use hand-held cell phones while driving. If you must use a hand-held phone, pull over and park before using it.
• Get to know your phone and its features.
• Position your phone within easy reach.
• Secure your phone in its holder. Do not place the phone on the passenger seat or where it can break loose in a sudden stop.
• Don't use your cell phone in heavy traffic or hazardous weather conditions.
• Don't take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.
• If possible, place calls when you are not moving or merging.
• Don't engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may divert your attention from the road.