Our goal is to be a community voice in injury prevention and other situations that make emergency room visits necessary. We hope you will read and practice these tips for remaining injury free.
Did you know?
- More children age five to 14 go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms for injures associated with bicycling than any other sport.
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 5-18.
- Falls are the leading cause of hospitalization for seniors.
Every day we see the result of accidents that include devastating injuries and death. We offer a number of programs focused on reducing accidents and serious illness.
Car safety - Child safety seat check
Car safety is one of the most important things you can do to reduce injuries. Team members from the Emergency Department, Neonatal ICU, Women and Infant Care Unit and Pediatrics at Riverside Regional Medical Center offer free Child Safety Seat Inspections and Installations on the third Thursday of every month. These safety checks are by appointment only so please call us at 757-875-7880 for information on how to keep your child safe.
Car safety - Seat belt basics
Whenever you ride in a car, wear your seat belt. EVERY TIME. No matter how short your trip, buckle up EVERY TIME. Even in a slow moving vehicle, if you are in an accident you can get thrown and sustain serious injury.
Car safety - Correct seat belt placement
The lap (lower) part of the belt should be sitting low and tight across the upper part of your hips. It should never go across the upper half of your belly. The shoulder part of the seat belt should fit snugly across your chest and shoulder, not under your arm or across your neck or face.
Car safety - Older children, booster seats and seat belts
Booster seats are designed to lift children to better fit in an adult seat belt. The booster seat positions the shoulder belt away from the child’s head and neck where, if positioned incorrectly, it can cause severe head or spinal injury. The booster seat helps position the seat belt between the child’s neck and shoulder over the collarbone, helping to center it on the child’s chest. Booster seats also position the lap portion of the seat belt over the child’s hips and thighs, not over their stomach. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in booster seats until they are 8–10 years old, 80-100 lbs and at least 4 feet 9 inches (57" tall).
Car safety - Airbags
Airbags, when combined with lap/shoulder belts, offer the most effective safety protection for vehicle occupants. Please note that children 12 years old and younger should not sit in front of an airbag location. Children in rear facing child safety seats should never be placed in the front seat of vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags. The impact of a deploying air bag striking an infant seat can cause fatal injury to the child.
Car safety - Take AARP's refresher driving course
The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation's first and largest classroom refresher course for drivers age 50 and older. The eight-hour course is designed to help you fine tune driving skills and update your knowledge of the rules of the road. The course helps you learn how to adjust to normal, age related physical changes and how to adjust driving habits to incorporate these changes so you reduce the potential for traffic violations, crashes and injury. If you have individual needs or concerns, they can be addressed privately with driving instructors.
Bicycle safety and helmet use
Helmets, when correctly worn, are the most effective safety device available to reduce the risk of head injury and death from bicycle crashes.
Sports injury prevention
Playing sports is fun. Getting hurt is not. To make sure you stay in the game, follow these five steps to injury prevention:
- Wear protective gear, such as helmets, protective pads, and other gear
- Warm up and cool down
- Know the rules of the game
- Watch out for others
- Don't play when you're injured
Water safety
- Swim with a buddy. Never swim alone.
- Always swim where a lifeguard can see you and in areas that are marked for swimmers to use.
- Don't push or jump on others. You can accidentally hurt someone or yourself.
- Don't chew gum or eat while you swim — you can choke.
- Always put on plenty of sunscreen before you go outside. Wear sunglasses and a hat to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays.
- Wear protective footwear if surfaces are rough or rocky.
- Don't swim close to piers or any big, wooden structure that juts out into the water. If the water moves suddenly, you could hit a piling or a rock.
- Face the waves instead of turning your back on them so you can see what's coming.
- When you see or hear of a storm, immediately stop swimming or boating and get out of the water. Lightning is electricity and electricity and water are a dangerous, and often deadly, combination.
- Don't swim in the dark.