Safety first

A cycle of danger

A bike is the first big step in mobility for your child, but it can also represent a whole new level of injury risk if you don't take important precautions.

A helmet should fit

There are laws that require children to wear bike helmets, but there aren't laws that require parents to make sure helmets fit properly. And proper fit is as important as a proper helmet.

Accidents killing SA kids

More than 10 children die every day from car accidents, drowning, poisoning, burns and violence. More than 75% of these accidents occur in the home.

Are you a crime target?

Very often crimes are opportunistic and there is much you can do to make sure you are not the target of this type of crime.

Avoid being thunderstruck

About 200 South Africans get killed by lightning every year. Find out how to protect yourself.

Buckle up the right way

Do you know which child restraint is the correct one for your child? And what is the safest option if your child travels in a car without one? We have the answers.

Car seats

No matter how rushed you are, always use a car seat. This way you will help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.

Child safety not just good luck

Childhood injuries are preventable and keeping children safe is not just due to “good luck”. Here are a few important safety tips.

Children risk injury at school

About 20% treated at the Red Cross Children's Hospital's Trauma Unit, are injured at school. Here are school safety tips to protect your child from injury.

Dangers in the bathroom

Burns, poisoning and drowning are just some of the dangers that can be encountered in the bathroom. How can you make your bathroom a safer place?

Don't give kids a break

Bicycles, basketball, football and roller sports, in that order, top the list of eight staples of fun that lead to the most bruises and broken bones among American children, reports a new study.

Driving safety tips

This year's death toll on our roads are, once again, shocking. Here are some helpful tips on how to drive safely.

Give safe toys this holiday season

Whether it's due to the demands of commercial-addled kids or the good intentions of exuberant gift-givers, the concept of toy safety is often lost over the holidays.

Hard facts can save your child

Would you allow 30 adults to stand on your child? If you don't read this, it might just happen.

Hit the road - safely

Do these twelve things and you stand a good chance of not becoming one of the many accident statistics on the roads.

How to prevent drowning

Drowning of a child is what every parent fears. What can you do to prevent a tragedy?

Is your friend's home safe for your child?

Holiday time is visiting time. You may be extra careful about making your home safe for your child, but is your child safe when you visit other people’s houses?

Is your home a death trap?

Every day people get hurt, sometimes fatally, in their own homes or flats. And often this could have been prevented.

Make your home baby-safe

As babies aged 6 months and upwards become more mobile, they become more prone to accidents. This is the time to safeguard your home and make it child-friendly.

Make your home safe for baby

Here is a checklist of what you need to do to make your home safe for your baby.

Playgrounds more dangerous than roads

Taking a tumble from the jungle gym may be a childhood rite of passage, but a new study shows playgrounds are more dangerous than roadways.

Prevent drowning: Tips for pool owners

Drowning is a real risk if you have children near your pool - even if they can swim. Here are important precautions you can take to prevent a tragedy.

Protect kids from burns

Scald burns are a common kitchen hazard and a serious health threat to children. But there are many ways to protect your children from kitchen burns.

Safety checklist for car seats

Using a child's car seat correctly can mean the difference between life and death.

Safety checklist for your lounge

Is your lounge a safe place for children? Use our safety check list.

Safety devices

As your child is getting more and more mobile, make sure that he/she has a safe place to roam around. Here are a few handy safety devices which help to prevent injuries.

Safety first

This is a good time to make sure that your home is a safe place for your baby, as your child is becoming more mobile and will soon love to experiment by putting objects into his/her mouth.

Safety in the home

It's a well-known fact that most accidents happen in the home, and everyone - whether you have epilepsy or not - needs to take a little extra care to avoid unnecessary injury. The following tips expand on basic domestic safety measures to help make your environment as safe as possible should you have a seizure.

Safety in the kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home. But it is also the room in the house where most accidents happen. What should you look out for?

Safety tips at school

How can you protect children from injury at school? Follow these safety hints.

Safety when camping with kids

A camping trip can be even more of an adventure than you bargained for if you're taking children along. Keeping in mind a few important precautions can prevent potential disaster.

Shocking child accident death rate in SA

Accidents daily claim the lives of more than ten children in South Africa. This figure is alarmingly high.

25 idiotic ways to die

You wouldn't believe the idiotic things people do every day.

Simple steps to fall-free homes

Sudden falls can mean long-term illness and disability for older people at risk for fracture. Luckily, there are several simple, affordable ways to make every home slip-safe.

Sleep safety for babies

For various reasons including fires and unsafe cribs, thousands of infants die while they're sleeping. The American Red Cross offers some safety guidelines.

Spinal cord injuries: pool precautions

Swimming pools provide what many consider the perfect place to exercise or relax on a hot summer day. But pools also provide the perfect environment for serious injury to those who aren't careful.

Study outlines where kids drown

It's Bathtubs for babies, swimming pools for toddlers, and lakes, ponds and rivers for teens. These are the most likely places for kids under age 20 to drown.

Summer safety plans

Summer means lots of braais, trips to the beach and dips in the pool. So before you head out for fun in the sun, take a few minutes to remind yourself how to stay safe outdoors.

Teaching your teen to drive

If you've decided to be the one who teaches your teen to drive, the American Automobile Association offers these guidelines.

Think child safety

Childhood injury in South Africa is an unrelenting public health problem. During National Child Accident Prevention Week (11-15 August), this disturbing issue is tackled.

Thirteen summer safety tips

You know that the sun is dangerous and that you need to take precautions. But it’s a schlep to go through the whole sunscreen routine at the beach, right? Not really.

Trampoline dangers

Few playthings for children offer as much delight as trampolines, but the dangers they present should leave parents hopping mad, doctors say.

Water hazards

If you have a swimming pool, you probably take precautions to protect your children from drowning. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says children are at risk - even in homes without pools - because it only takes 4cm of water to pose a danger.

Water safety for epileptics

Frolicking in the water can be deadly for epileptics if they are struck by sudden seizures, but simple precautions can prevent a drowning.

What about walking rings?

Walking rings are extremely dangerous. But if you insist on using one, here are a few essential safety precautions.

What is in your garden shed?

There are many items in the garden shed and garage which could be a safety hazard for your child. Use this safety checklist to see if you need to get your shed in order.

When to pull over

Most people don't intentionally drive when they're feeling sleepy. But once behind the wheel, fatigue, lack of sleep, or certain medications may take over.

Winter road safety

It's winter and the roads are wet. Rainy weather can create problems when driving - reduced visibility, hydroplaning, skids - that can lead to serious accidents.

Your guide to safety at sea: poisonous marine animals

When eaten, poisonous marine animals can make you ill, and may even cause muscular paralysis and death

Your safety – things that could save your life

South African society is dangerous. Women are at risk everywhere. While you cannot make the danger go away completely, you can minimise your exposure to violent crime.

Blackout!

The power's out. Again. And it's not just annoying - it can be dangerous too. Here's how to survive the dark.

Get kitted out this season

With a few weeks to spare before the start of the traditional 2007 festive season, it is time to invest in a sufficiently stocked travelling first aid kit.