CHILDREN MUST THINK SAFETY; `NOTHING SUBSTITUTES FOR TEACHING GOOD SENSE AND GOOD SAFETY PRACTICES.'

As the temperature rises, so do the number of accidents and injuries related to summertime activities. Each year, hundreds of people suffer injuries that could have been avoided with a few precautions, area safety experts say.

"Red is the color for safety because it is prevalent in everything we do," said Kathy Leimer, care coordinator for outpatient services at St. Francis Medical Center. "When you see red, you should think of what you can do to make your activity more safe."

Most summer activities, like biking or swimming, require some common sense and precaution. In 1991, there were 7,286 unintentional deaths, according to statistics from the national Safe Kids Campaign. The deaths are listed as unintentional and not accidents because something could have been done to prevent an accident, Leimer said.

Safety should be a part of every activity. "You have to think safety, as well as the having fun part," she said.

The Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition was formed in 1991 to provide parents, teachers and the community with safety tips and programs. The campaign focuses on children from birth to 14.

The programs provide basic information on the five aspects of safety: traffic/pedestrian safety, water safety, choking, scalds and burns and poison prevention.

"Children under the age of nine don't internalize safety but at age nine, they can think emergency," she said. "The smaller ones think if I can't see it, it can't see me. They don't think about safety tips."

Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death in the country. Last year, more than 1,400 people died from motor-vehicle accidents. In Missouri, all children younger than 4 are required to ride in an approved car seat. Seat belts will be prevent injuries, Leimer said.

Seventy percent of injuries to children younger than 4 would be prevented if car safety seats were used properly, said Sue Denny, program coordinator of the Missouri Office of Injury Control.

Because more children will be using car safety seats, people will hear of more children injured in those seats, Denny said. However, "they are far safer in a seat than any other way."

Another common summer injury for children are bicycle accidents. Wearing helmets while biking or roller-blading can reduce injuries.

The head is the heaviest part of the body and often makes contact with the ground when children take a fall, Leimer said. Small children should also wear knee and elbow pads while biking.

Only 1 percent of bike owners wear helmets, but helmet use has increased in the last few years. About 90 percent of these accidents could be prevented by wearing a helmet, Denny said.

In 1991, the National Safe Kids Coalition reported 258 children younger than 14 died from bicycle-related accidents or injuries nationwide. Only nine states have mandatory bicycle helmet regulations. In 1993, at least six deaths in Missouri were attributed to biking injuries.

"You hate to see change occur because of an injury or unintentional death," Leimer said. But often seeing an injury will cause a young person to change.

Parents should teach their children how to ride in traffic and how to ride safely, Denny said, adding: "Nothing substitutes for teaching good sense and good safety practices."

To help parents teach safety, the Cape Girardeau Police Department offers a course in its Safety Village. Students learn primarily about bike and traffic safety. Each participant receives a free bike helmet.

"There is a big push to get kids to wear helmets," said Sharee Galnore, coordinator of the Community Traffic Safety program. "We try to get them to buckle up and practice good safety on the streets."

Practicing good safety on the streets is important, but so is practicing good water safety. During the summer, water-related injuries are also common.

Hospitals see more neck injuries in teen-agers because of diving falls, Leimer said. Last year, more than 1,100 people were injured in diving or diving-related accidents.

Drowning deaths are relatively low compared to area states. However, children should not be allowed near water without adult supervision, Denny said. Missouri law requires children younger than 7 to wear life jackets while riding in boats.

Members of the Safe Kids Coalition often talk to schools and day-care centers about safety issues.

"Groups ask for specific tips like fire and car safety," Leimer said. "It's repetitive and they (children) get the information. If you ingrain it during the younger years, then they internalize it."

Parents are more aware of safety issues after their child gets information. Parents and teachers must be consistent and conscious about being good safety examples, she said.

In addition to providing safety tips, the hospital offers guidance for first-time baby sitters or children learning how to be baby sitters.

The course offers the basics of baby-sitting: what to do for choking, how to prevent falls and some tips on pool safety, said Kathy Casteel, a nurse and the hospital's community educator.

"These are things that are common sense but may not have clicked with younger kids," she said.

The class has a steady registration, but is geared to the younger children. This is the fourth year the baby-sitter class has been taught, Casteel said.

People will leave younger children with older siblings but wouldn't normally hire an 11-year-old to baby-sit. The time to teach safety is when children are young, she said.

The class emphasizes safety as a step-by-step process.

"I teach them personal safety and responsibility," Casteel said. "They need to know how they are going to get home and how to keep the children safe. Many of them know already, but some don't. The ability varies with age."

Here are some tips to remember for a safe summer:

Bicycle safety:

-- Always wear a helmet when riding.

-- Replace helmets after any crash or every five years.

-- Obey all traffic rules and signs.

-- Ride with traffic.

-- Signal all turns.

-- Always wear bright clothing or reflective tape after dark.

-- Make sure your bike has a white light in front, a red light in the rear and reflectors.

General safety tips:

-- Wash small cuts and scratches with soap and water before applying bandages.

-- If a child swallows poison, call the Poison Control Center or an emergency room at a local hospital.

-- Children younger than 4 should always ride in a car safety seat.

-- In boats and near water, children younger than 7 should wear life jackets.

Fire safety:

-- Plan a fire escape route for your family. If clothing catches fire, wrap a blanket around the child and roll on the floor to smother the flames.

-- Check smoke detectors and replace old batteries.

-- To prevent scalds and burns, set water heaters at 120 degrees. For small burns, cool the area by putting it under cold running water or applying cold compresses. Don't use ice or greasy substances on burns.

"Never sit a child into a tub without running all the water first," said Sue Denny. "You should never let a sibling run the water because they don't know how hot it will be. And never leave a child younger than 5 unsupervised near water."

-- Compiled from the Missouri Department of Highway Safety, the Office of Injury Control of the Missouri Department of Health, Southeast Missouri Hospital and the St. Francis Medical Center.

Safety Courses:

St. Francis Medical Center will hold its next baby-sitter education course Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Education Center Friend's Lounge. The cost is $5 and includes a lunch. Call 339-6970 for more information.

The Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition offers safety programs to service organizations and groups in the community. You can contact the group by calling 651-5815.

To register your child for Safety Village, call the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department at 335-5421. The class is taught weekdays throughout the summer. There is a $10 registration fee and each participant receives a bike helmet.