News You Can Use

May 25, 2007

Key Steps to Ensure Safe Grilling

Whether it will be a small family event or one for the whole neighborhood, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) want your cookout to be a success.  Special precautions are required for the handling and preparation of our perishable picnic foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products. 

The CDC's "Seven Super Steps to Safe Food in the Summer" aim to reduce the risk of food borne illness.  Key steps to fighting bacteria and pathogens at your outdoor picnic or barbecue include:

• Boil used marinade before applying to cooked food. 
• Preheat coals 20-30 minutes before grilling. 
• Remove grilled foods to a clean plate rather than the one that previously held the raw food.
• Cook hamburgers to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

And engage the kids in food safety. 

Pool Safety Takes Precedence  

Floating into summer at a pool party, or on the beach with the kids in tow requires special attention to details, according to Safe Kids USA.  Sixty-four percent of all child drowning deaths occur in the summer months.  To combat this problem, Safe Kids USA has introduced the "Water Watcher Card."  The Water Watcher card is intended to be passed between adults taking turns acting as the "Designated Watcher" of children in and around water. 

Down load and print your Water Watcher Card before your next gathering. 

Safe Kids USA also offers a checklist for pool and hot tub safety for adults, for children, and for pool and hot tub owners. 

A national study of drain entrapment and pool safety measures discusses the risks, safety measures, devices, and barriers for preventing future drownings.

If you are headed to open water, Safe Kids USA reminds us that swimming and boating in oceans, lakes, and rivers requires special precautions.   

Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under.  More than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments, and volunteers to educate and protect families. 

Click It or Ticket Kicks Off the Summer in PA 

Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) will participate in the nationwide "Click It or Ticket" campaign setting an example for safe summer travel.  High crash areas will be targeted for seat belt use by the PSP during the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to be conducted through June 3, 2007. 

Traffic safety checkpoints will be conducted in each PSP troop area to educate the public about traffic laws.  Under Pennsylvania law, all front seat passengers are required to buckle up.  Children ages 4 to 8 must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat when riding anywhere in a motor vehicle.  In addition, children ages 8 to 18 must be in a seat belt when riding anywhere in the vehicle.  Both of these laws are secondary, which means drivers can be ticketed only when cited for another traffic violation such as speeding. 

Children under the age of four must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle.  The fine for non-use of child safety and booster seats is a maximum of $100, in addition to other costs.  Failure to comply with the seat belt law can result in a penalty of $60, including the fine and other costs. 

The PSP will be conducting child passenger safety seat checkups where parents can receive training on the proper installation and use of child safety seats.  The "Click It or Ticket" Safety Seat Checks will be conducted at PSP Inspection Stations located around the Commonwealth. 

For addition information: Individual Troop Websites; PSP car seat safety tips; Nationwide "Click It or Ticket" campaign from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)and Safe Kids USA & child seat safety 

Hiking Week 2007 

Welcome the season with a hike and participate in the sixth annual celebration of summer, healthy exercise, and PA's great outdoors.  Hiking Week 2007, running from Saturday, May 26 through Sunday, June 3 will offer novices and hiking enthusiasts over 100 choices for grabbing the gear and heading out the door.   

The Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and the Keystone Trails Association team up annually to promote Hiking Week.  The 2007 effort includes a user-friendly website to help you locate the hike of your choice.   

Choose from one of six regions in the drop down menu and indicate the dates or time period for which you wish to plan a hike.  Click on search for a list of hikes by county along with the number of miles, degree of difficulty, a description of the environment, and all the necessary contact information.  A clickable map located on the upper right side of the site's main page allows you to select the region and receive the entire list for the duration of Hiking Week. 

PennDOT Line Painting & You 

By the end of November, 18,000 miles of highway lines will receive a coat of paint from the PA Department of Transportation improving highway safety, especially at night and during inclement weather.   

Painting crews will heat and apply water-based latex paint and recycled glass beads to roadways on dry days with temperatures higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  The paint dries within 90 to 120 seconds. 

Motorists encountering painting crews should stay at least 100 feet behind and not pass unless directed to do so.  PennDOT also advises against driving over freshly painted lines. 

Motorists who get paint on their vehicle should clean them as soon as possible using ionized water.  If that fails, call PennDOT at 800-FIX-ROADS and request a claim form. 

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Reminder for All Motorists

While warm temperatures and blue skies are enticing motorcyclists to seek the open road, Pennsylvania is recognizing May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  The PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reports nearly 3,900 crashes involving motorcycles occurred on PA roads in 2006, resulting in 187 motorcycle fatalities.  Just over one-half of these crashes involved a motorcycle and another vehicle and more than half of these crashes were caused by the driver of the other vehicle. 

PennDOT recommends the following safety tips for motorists: 

• Respect a motorcycle as a full-sized vehicle and remember the motorcyclist has the same privileges as any motorist on the roadway. 
• Look out for motorcyclists – be aware that motorcycles are small and difficult to see. 
• Always check mirrors and blind spots at intersections or before entering or leaving a lane of traffic. 
• Always allow a motorcyclist the full-lane width – never try to share a lane. 
• Keep your distance and allow extra space between vehicles. 
• Always signal intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. 
• Remember, road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists pose major hazards to motorcyclists. 

The agency makes the following recommendations to motorcyclists:

• Become familiar with the motorcycle and conduct a pre-ride check to identify any problem that could jeopardize safety. 
• Be safe.  Wear the right gear, including DOT-approved protective headgear; face or eye protection; and protective, brightly colored clothing – including over the ankle foot protection, long pants, long sleeved shirts and full-fingered gloves. 
• Be prepared.  Practice riding techniques and learn how to handle the motorcycle in all types of road and weather conditions. 
• Take a PennDOT-approved motorcycle safety course. 

All motorists will encounter motorcyclists at some time and should have an understanding of the nature of motorcycles and the act of driving one.  For example, motorcyclists often slow down by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light.  Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-cancelling, thus some riders, especially beginners, sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change.  A motorcycle's small size makes it appear to be moving faster than it really is.  The PA Motorcycle Safety Program offers a few more points of interests for crossing paths with a motorcycle.

The PA Motorcycle Safety Program (MSP) was created legislatively in 1984 and enacted a year later.  The program teaches riders of all skill levels the basic fundamentals needed to operate a motorcycle safely.  Visit the MSP website to get the facts, laws, regulations, and more regarding operating a motorcycle in PA.