Dr. Deb

Once a year my husband takes an annual “male bonding trip” with our twins and their octogenarian grandfather to a small cottage by the lake. Grilling out over hot coals is part of this summer tradition as it is for many families, especially this holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, accidental fires are also too common as they discovered the next day. My son went to play ball outside and noticed some smoke beside the cottage. Suddenly, the coals from the cookout the night before burst into flames. Luckily Louie’s sports obsession put him in the exact location so that he could alert grandpa and put out the fire. Many are not so lucky when it comes to accidental fires, especially around a holiday.

More fires are reported on 4^th of July than any other single day with half of these caused from fireworks. In fact 7,000 people each year get treated for 4th of July related accidents.

Dr. Deb 4^th of July Safety Tips

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My first and only car accident as a teen happened within weeks of getting my license. I was seriously backing out of a church parking lot going so slowly for fear of a passing car that I drove right into the car next to me (now they were over the line..but still)  While I doubt many teens hit a car at 1 mph, most teen accidents will happen within 6 months of receiving their license. Many teen accidents are very serious, even deadly.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year olds with over 2 million accidents-both fatal and non-fatal-a year.

Teens are involved in 3-4 times the number of accidents ,with more teens dying during summer months than any other time of year.

Here is Dr. Deb’s  5 step Safe Teen Driving Plan

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Summer Safety

Today is the last day of school for my 4 children. Summer brings such great joy and freedom yet more children are sent to the emergency room from injury in the summer than any other time of year. Here are my summer safety tips to help keep you and yours safe!

Dr. Deb’s Summer Safety Tips (more…)