Tips for parents to protect teens from summer injuries

Summer is the season of backyard barbecues, scenic drives through the countryside and heat-easing dips in the pool.

For all of its fun, though, summer is also the time when you're most likely to suffer an injury, especially if you're a teenager, said trauma surgeon Dr. Thomas Esposito of Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill.

"We see an increase in injuries to all age groups but particularly to teens during the summer months," said Esposito, who is also chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "That increased rate is associated with the fact that there are many events in the summer to celebrate that often contribute to risky behavior."

Short of continuously chaperoning them day and night, there are some very practical steps parents can take to make their teens safer this summer, Esposito said, including:

• Have open and honest discussions with your teens to impart good life and risk-reduction skills. Make them understand that it's not just the teen down the street that gets into trouble, killed or injured - the next tragedy could very well involve them.

• Practice what you preach and be the example for safe, responsible living. Parents' behavior and activities, whether that's wearing safety belts, drinking responsibly or not engaging in illicit drug use, tend to be transmitted to their children.

• Since idle time can lead to riskier behavior on teens' part, get them involved in some safe activities. Help them line up a job in a relatively safe environment or sign them up for sporting activities (basketball or baseball camps, for instance), which is another relatively safe bet.

• In 2010, 135 people were injured by fireworks in Illinois, according to the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall, so it's important to discourage your teen from using them. This is particularly important as this year many communities are foregoing professional firework displays, which traditionally have been the safest method of enjoying these very exciting but very dangerous celebratory devices.

• Summer is the season when the most teen drivers are injured and killed in car crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a parent, you should set some firm ground rules for your teenager. Tell your teen what you expect and clearly spell out the consequences if your expectations are not met. Insist you're your teen drivers remain within the speed limit at all times and observe curfews. Know their friends' driving habits and don't let your newly licensed teen ferry around other teenage passengers, which can increase the chances of a crash. Also, tell your teen to keep the volume on their radio/disc player low and demand there be no text messaging or talking on a cell phone while driving. If your teen violates any of those rules, be prepared to replace the keys to the family car with a bus pass.

• Whether it's a river, pool, lake or beach, your teens should be taught water safety. Counsel them to never swim alone and stay in depths that are within their skill level. You should also encourage them to swim only in areas where life guards are present and to avoid dangerous horseplay. If your teenager can't swim, the summer is an excellent time to take lessons.

"No matter what season, injuries aren't accidents. They are really risks that are unrecognized, unheeded or poorly managed," Esposito said. "This summer, have fun but recognize the risks of some behaviors and the reality that it can happen to you."