Stay Safe This Season with Tips from Trauma Services

By Hannah Blanton, BSN, RN, TCRN | Trauma Services

Along with the Holiday season comes winter storms of snow or ice with cold temperatures and power outages; the hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping, cooking, holiday parties, school or church Christmas programs, elf-on-the-shelf antics, Santa visits and the list could go on and on. Although it may be fun and exciting, when being pulled in every direction, we don’t often think about the safety of ourselves, our families and our community. There are several areas of safety we should all be cognizant of during the winter months: Safe Travels, Toy Safety and Fire and Burn Safety.

Safe Travels

When traveling to and from all of your holiday activities, leave sooner, drive slower, live longer and remember to get a good night’s sleep or pull over in a safe location for a nap.

Drowsy driving led to 18% of fatal crashes in Kentucky over the past 5 years, per the Kentucky Association of Counties. According to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety statistics, in the months of November, December and January of 2022, there were over 30,000 motor vehicle collisions (MVC) resulting in 169 fatalities in the state of Kentucky with 2,586 MVCs occurring on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day resulting in 17 fatalities.

Always prepare your car for winter: check brakes, tires and fluid levels. While traveling during inclement weather, keep an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. If you are stopped or stalled in the snow or slide off the road, make sure you stay with your vehicle, turn your flashers on to ensure visibility to other drivers; be mindful of carbon monoxide poisoning (ensure your exhaust pipe is clear and free of any snow and only run your vehicle sporadically and just long enough to stay warm).

Ensure every passenger is correctly restrained for their age and size, no matter how long or short the distance being traveled may be. When transporting a child in a car seat, be sure to take their winter coats off prior to restraining them in a car seat; winter coats are often bulky and result in a loose-fitting harness; if you’re concerned for the child’s warmth, you could bring a blanket or use their coat as a blanket to cover them once they are properly restrained.

Distracted driving is becoming more frequent and is quickly becoming a major factor in MVCs. Phone down, head up; put your cell phone down and utilize your hands-free options for communication. Air pods or other headphone-like devices should not be worn while driving; this could inhibit your ability to hear driving warnings around you (ie: Emergency response vehicle approaching, brakes screeching, horns honking).

Emergency Kit Supplies

• Snow shovel, ice scraper
• Jumper cables
• Blankets, warm clothing, hand warmers
• Flashlights
• Food and water
• First aid kit

Toy Safety

Christmas is the season for giving; be sure to consider toy safety when selecting gifts. Children under three should not receive toys with small parts that could be a choking hazard, and be extra cautious with toys that utilize button batteries or magnets as they may be very harmful and even fatal if swallowed. When giving any type of riding toy, please consider giving the gift of safety gear as well. Properly fitted helmets should be worn at all times while on a riding toy.

Fire and Burn Safety

During the holiday season, there tends to be more cooking and more distractions, which can lead to an increase in burn injuries or kitchen fires. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fire in the kitchen.

Always call 9-1-1 in the event of a fire, but if you have a small grease fire and try to extinguish it yourself, remember to turn off the source of heat and smother the flames with a lid. Leave the pot/pan covered until it is completely cooled.

If you have small children in the home while cooking, try to have a “kid free zone” around your stove and remember to always turn the pots and pan handles to the back of the stove where they are out of reach of tiny hands.

With the winter months comes winter weather and subzero temperatures outside. There are more house fires in the winter than in any other season - half of all house heating fires occur from December to February. Nearly half of all space heater fires involve electric space heaters, so be sure to turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed.

Lastly, test all smoke alarms at least once a month and install carbon monoxide alarms in your home. 

Trauma Services would like to wish everyone a wonderful and SAFE holiday season!