Fourth of July Safety: Tips to Enjoy the Holiday Weekend

To help you stay safe, here are some points about common accidents that occur during the Fourth of July holiday and a few helpful safety tips to avoid them!

• Accidents involving fireworks – What’s the Fourth of July without fireworks? Around Arizona, many people choose to celebrate the holiday with their own fireworks display. Unfortunately, personal use of fireworks results in numerous hospital ER visits during the holiday weekend. To stay safe, make sure to always use fireworks in an open area where it poses little risk to nearby people, vehicles, or property. You should also supervise children closely, never give fireworks to small kids, and never attempt to re-light fireworks that didn’t go off after being lit.
• Drunk driving accidents – Fourth of July is one of the deadliest times of year on American roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is due to a significant spike in drunk driving accidents, injuries, and deaths. If you plan to drink, please do so responsibly or designate / plan for a sober ride. You can save lives and stay out of trouble. Arizona law enforcement will also be ramping up DUI enforcement.
• Grilling & barbecue accidents – Grills can be dangerous if misused. Grill safely this weekend by making sure you use charcoal and gas grills outside away from structures and flammable materials. Monitor the grill when it’s in use, use long tongs and tools when grilling, and be careful when using lighter fluid.
• Swimming pool accidents – Many people throughout Arizona will be cooling off this weekend by jumping in the water. If your plans involve a swimming pool, make sure everyone who will be using it – including children – have a solid grasp on swimming. Life jackets and floatation aids can help, but they’re no substitute for knowing how to swim. You should also make sure that children are always supervised and that pools are appropriately fenced off to prevent kids from gaining unauthorized access. Follow all safety rules associated with pools and know how to respond in the case of an emergency.

Suzuki Law Offices hopes you have a SAFE and FUN Fourth of July weekend! As always, our team of Phoenix injury attorneys is available to help victims and families after they’ve been harmed in preventable accidents.