Health / Unit 8: Safety and First Aid
8.1 Preventing Injuries
Notes
Most injuries are unintentional and can be prevented by planning and using safety equipment.
- Vehicles: always wear a seat belt, never text or use a phone while driving, and never ride with an impaired driver. Teen drivers should follow graduated licensing rules.
- Bikes, skateboards and scooters: wear a properly fitted helmet, and follow traffic rules.
- Sports: wear the right gear, warm up and follow rules.
- Water: learn to swim, swim with a buddy, and wear a life jacket on boats.
- Fire: install smoke alarms, practice an escape plan and never leave cooking unattended.
- Home: keep walkways clear, store medicines and chemicals safely and use tools correctly.
- Many injuries happen when people rush, are distracted or take unnecessary risks.
Practice
Which is the best way to reduce the risk of head injury while biking?
Helmets reduce the risk of head injury.
Which behavior is the most dangerous for a driver?
Texting takes eyes, hands and attention away from the road.
A friend wants to jump into a lake they've never swum in without a buddy nearby. Which advice is best?
Buddies and caution lower water-related risk.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 8 test.