Fall Season Safety Tips

From LoveToKnow Safety

As the air turns cooler and leaves drop from the trees, keeping in mind fall season safety tips helps keep you and your family protected from seasonal dangers.

Learn about dangerous driving habits

Fire Safety Tips for Fall

When the weather turns cold most people spend more time inside their homes using fireplaces, furnaces and heaters to keep warm.

Make sure your home heating system is in good working order before the cold weather sets in.
Have chimneys cleaned and furnaces inspected.
Use a fireplace screen to keep sparks from flying out of the fireplace.
Allow at least three feet of empty area around space heaters.
Never leave a burning fire unattended.
Make sure a fire in a fireplace is completely out before going to bed.
Never leave candles burning if you go out or go to sleep.
Never use your stove or oven to heat your home.

Back to School Fall Safety Tips

As children return to school in the fall, they are excited and may not be paying as much attention to their surroundings as they should. Keep them safe with these fall safety tips.

If your child’s school bus is equipped with seat belts make sure your child uses it.
If your child walks to school or waits at a bus stop, wearing clothes that are brightly colored makes them more visible to drivers.
Children that ride bicycles to school should always wear a helmet.
Have your child use a rolling backpack if possible.
A loaded backpack should not weigh more than ten to twenty percent of the weight of the child.

Safety Tips for Fall Driving

With the fall season comes shorter days making it more difficult to see children playing or people walking and riding bicycles. It is also harder to see motorcycles and other cars.

Children love to play in piles of leaves. Use extra caution where leaves are piled at curbside.
Always drive carefully making sure to be aware of poor viability during certain weather conditions and times of the day.
Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you. Wet roads make it more difficult to stop.
Use your dimmed headlights in bad weather with decreased visibility.

Safety Tips for Fall Boaters

Although there are many more boating accidents in the summer season, boaters involved in accidents during the fall months have a higher risk of the accident being fatal. The following are a few tips to make the fall boating season as safe as possible.

Since fall weather can change quickly be prepared for possible cold and wet weather even if the sun is shining. Small open boats combined with cold wet weather can lead to possible hypothermia.
Make sure you tell a friend or family member your boating plan and your expected return time. There are fewer boaters in the fall to help in the case of an accident or emergency.
Always wear your life jacket. If you should accidentally fall overboard, the cold water will quickly drain away your strength.

Fall Season Safety Tips for Home Maintenance

Fall is the time for yard clean-ups and readying your house for the cold winter ahead.

Change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you turn back your clocks for Daylight Saving Time. Make sure to check the alarms with the new batteries installed.
Use extra caution when climbing ladders for fall jobs such as cleaning gutters or hanging holiday decorations. Shoes or boots may be wet causing you to slip as you climb the ladder.
Keep your driveway and walkway clear of falling leaves. They get very slippery when they are wet.
Check and replace any home fire extinguishes that have expired.
Always wear work gloves when doing outside yard work.