Summer brings new safety concerns for Carbon County residents, Sheriff Jeff Wood used his weekly update to highlight some tips on how to beat the extremely hot and dangerous temperatures, along with practicing ATV/UTV safety while enjoying the backroads.
“You know we are going to see record breaking heat this week in Castle Valley and with that comes a lot of responsibility. If you’re a pet owner, make sure your pets have shade and plenty of water and that you’re keeping an eye on them. Make sure that they are well taken care of and have an opportunity to get out of the heat, it’s too much for them,” said Wood. Other key factors for pet owners to keep in mind – never leave pets in vehicles, walk canines during the cooler hours of the day, stay off hot surfaces because it can burn the dog’s paws and if you feel that it’s hot outside, it’s even hotter for your pet.
Sadly, during the summer many will either read or hear in state and/or national news about a child being left unattended in a hot vehicle for one reason or another with the outcome ending tragically. “Don’t leave your kids even for a minute in the car. The car will heat up so fast and it’s so dangerous for those children that you know it will take two seconds to get the little one out of the car seat and just take them with you; just be leery of the heat,” stated Wood. Parents with young children should routinely use the three important ACT tips to safeguard their children, A-avoid heatstroke related injury and death by never leaving child alone in a car; C- create reminders by putting something in the backseat of your car next to the child that is needed at your final destination; T- take action, if a child is alone in a car call 911 immediately.
Summer months not only bring safety concerns for pets and children but also for individuals who enjoy the side roads in the mountains on ATV/UTVs. “This is the season and the number one cause of injuries in a side by side accidents is people not wearing their seatbelts, take the time put your seatbelt on. It’s designed for you to stay inside it, if something were to happen to it if it were to lose traction and its wheels point up, you want to be inside the machine. Just be careful out there, you don’t want to take your fun times and turn it in to tragedy,” said Wood. A few safety tips for drivers is to always operate and ride their machine at a controlled speed, never carry more passengers than is allowed on the ATV/UTV, never operate while under the influence of alcohol/drugs and wear appropriate safety equipment. Remember, anyone under the age of 18 years old is required by Utah law to wear a helmet.
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