Transcript of
Accident prevention: teenagers
With 10- to 14-year-olds, they're growing up.
They're becoming more independent.
They see themselves as young adults.
You're not there to supervise them all the time.
You've got to be able to help them to keep themselves safe.
It's important to build on all those safety messages
you taught them when they were younger.
But also at this age, they want to understand things for themselves.
You need to help them think about the best ways to keep themselves safe.
Bathrooms are potentially very dangerous places for young people
who don't realise that water and electricity just don't mix.
Even if it's plugged in outside the bathroom,
something like a hair dryer, a hair straightener or a radio,
if that comes into contact with water, can cause a really nasty shock
and in some cases, can be fatal.
A lot of accidents happen to this age group when they're cycling.
Young people tend to think they're invincible, but they're not.
They can suffer the most horrific injuries falling off bikes,
things like when the skin peels back like someone peeling a glove off you
or horrific burns where you're dragged across the ground
or brain damage from falling on your head during a cycle injury.
So there are really nasty things that can happen to you.
It's so important to be aware of that.
That's why you need to make sure you can be seen,
wear fluorescent clothing, wear a cycle helmet.
Just be sensible.
If you cycle in the dark without lights going the wrong way down a street
it's very likely you'll get injured.
Kids at this age are very likely to be involved in accidents as pedestrians.
They're easily distracted. There's so much going on around them.
They're on their mobiles, texting, listening to music,
they see friends, they rush across the road.
A lot of people injured at this age say they just didn't stop and think.
They didn't look or listen. They just stepped out into the road.
Parents need to set a good example, so don't use the mobile yourself,
don't text, don't use it while you're crossing the road.
Also, encourage young people to think about the consequences.
Young people want to go out and about and they want to explore.
They can be tempted to take lifts from people they don't know terribly well.
Encourage them to think if they're safe to have a lift with this person.
Has this person been drinking? Are they a safe driver?
But also, getting that message across about the importance of seat belts.
They want to be cool at this age.
A seat belt doesn't always seem that cool.
The thing around drowning is that children overestimate their abilities.
They do tend to try and swim in places that aren't safe.
Really, all children should be swimming in places that are supervised.
But things like rivers and canals and disused gravel pits filled with water
can be very tempting,
but they are dangerous
because of changes in currents, changes in depth,
changes in the coldness of the water.
In gravel pits, you might have really nasty things below the surface.
Rusty old pieces of equipment that a young person can be horribly cut on.
It's not just about drowning.
If you nearly drown, you can be left with very serious brain injuries.
Young people really hate being told "don't do this and don't do that".
At that age, they've got lots of energy.
You need to find ways to engage them, keep them occupied, keep them busy
and to do the exciting things they want to do, but to do it safely.
You know your child best and you know what will work for them.
