SUMMER’S BIGGEST ROAD RISKS
Getting your kids outdoors to enjoy nature is a goal worth pursuing, but smartphones, video games, and social media have made it far more challenging in recent years. We celebrated Earth Day on April 22, and a nature walk is a great way to keep the appreciation for nature going. Planning games, creative projects, and other challenges to engage them during your hike can get kids involved from the start. Choose a trail that isn’t too difficult, and allow your children to wander and explore. If your children have a creative flair, encourage them to collect dried leaves, pieces of bark, seed pods, sticks, and other items to use in a collage. For adventurous kids, you can draft an age-appropriate list for a scavenger hunt to keep them from growing bored on the walk. You can include different insects native to your area, specific colors of leaves, and types of flowers, and you can even have them keep an ear out for different bird calls. Challenge your kids to make a list of all the plants or animals they can identify while they walk. Apps like Leafsnap help you identify plants using photos of their leaves or other parts. Additionally, the Arbor Day Foundation offers an online step-by-step guide at ArborDay.org for identifying a tree by its leaves. Keep the learning going by having your kids record their distance based on trail signs or a map app on their phones and calculate their average speed. You could also invite your youngsters to become cartographers, tracing the trail and surroundings on paper, including landmarks, STEP BY STEP Help Your Kids Fall in Love With Hiking
Summer in Texas means vacations, road trips, and long weekends. With so much going on, the roads get significantly busier, and accidents become more likely. Understanding summer travel risks can keep you safe whether you’re driving across the state or just across town. Distracted Driving Distracted driving is a year-round issue, but it’s a more significant problem in summer. Backups and sudden slowdowns are common on busy Texas highways, and distracted drivers are less likely to react quickly. Summer driving also brings more distractions, such as your GPS, music, and extra passengers. Put away your cell phone, set music and GPS before driving, and keep your eyes on the road. Fatigue Along with more distractions, summer road trips often involve long drives, which increases the risk of fatigue-related crashes. Drowsy driving slows reaction times and hinders decision-making abilities, making it as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. Drivers should plan for frequent breaks and never push through extreme fatigue while behind the wheel. Commercial Trucks Summer increases tourism and shipping demands, so more commercial trucks are on Texas roadways. Commercial vehicles have significant blindspots and longer stopping distances than passenger cars. Their size also makes them unpredictable in heavy traffic. In 2022, Texas saw 810 deaths from crashes involving large trucks, the most in the nation. You can help prevent these accidents by giving large trucks extra room and avoiding their blind spots. Teens and the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often called the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer.” Fatal car accidents spike during this period, especially among teen drivers. According to The National Road Safety Foundation, teen driver deaths increase by about 20% during this period. Parents can help reduce risks for teen drivers by setting clear rules, limiting night-time driving, and encouraging teens to wear their seatbelts at all times. Stay Safe This Summer Texas roads can become unpredictable in the summer, but safe driving habits prevent accidents. Unfortunately, not all accidents are avoidable. If you or a loved one is injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact Aulsbrook Law Firm today for a free consultation. Stay Safe on Texas Highways
rivers, and lakes. Older kids can add topographical information using their phones or an altitude app such as Altimeter or My Altitude.
Hiking is a fantastic activity to help your kids appreciate the outdoors rather than their phone screens, but being in nature takes energy. Remember to pack snacks and a water
bottle before you leave, or pack a favorite picnic meal to savor the rewards of exploring the outdoors!
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