There have been too many accidents in Robeson County recently involving young children. Unfortunately, virtually all of these accidents were the result of basic safety rules not being followed. Several of these accidents resulted in the death of a child, and there is no situation more difficult for a parent to have to deal with than the loss of a child, especially when that loss could have been prevented.

Trying to teach children about safety sometimes seems like a hopeless situation, especially when they so often see adults not following basic safety precautions. As their parents and guardians, we need to do all we can to help them develop good safety habits, and we need to model these habits ourselves in everything we do.

The Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service works directly with many individuals in the county, from farmers to homeowners. Our staff is very concerned about safety, and we realize that any of the people we work with, or their children, can at any time become the victim of a serious accident.

To help educate both youth and adults about the cause of accidents and how to avoid them, our entire staff joined together several years ago to provide an Annual Farm and Home Safety Day Camp. We have been fortunate to secure the support of Progressive Farmer magazine in their nationwide safety campaign.

We will offer safety training again this year. The Third Annual Progressive Farmer Farm and Home Safety Day Camp will be held Saturday, September 15, at the Southeastern North Carolina Agricultural Center and Farmers Market. In order to provide an ideal learning environment, only the first 100 youth to register will be allowed to participate. Of course, parents or guardians of these youth are welcome and encouraged to attend, because the more they learn about safety, the better they are able to serve as role models for the youth.

Preregistration is encouraged but is not required. Registration that morning will begin at 9:00. Displays about various safety topics will be available for viewing, and time will be provided to chat with the representatives with these displays. The actual safety demonstrations will begin at 9:30, and the camp will end around 1:00.

Admission will be only $2 per person, which includes a tee shirt for each youth attending, handouts, a goody bag, lunch, and the chance to win some fabulous door prizes. The grand door prize is a bicycle, which of course will include a safety helmet.

Efforts will be made to focus the training on topics related to the greatest cause of accidents in Robeson County, including ATVs, bicycles, firearms, electricity, fires, and lawn mowers. Many of the demonstrations will be interactive, so the children will be able to actually see what may happen to them if they are not careful.

Children often become victims of accidents no matter how safe the parents try to be or how closely we try to supervise them. What is so unfortunate is when parents, or other adults, contribute to the accident.

Too often children are allowed to ride on a riding lawn mower with an adult as the lawn is mowed or may be allowed to ride on a farm tractor or other piece of farm equipment that is not designed for any riders other than the driver. As everyone knows, children are unpredictable. Tragedy strikes when a child slips from the grasp of an adult and falls into the moving blades of the mower, or without sensing the danger, the child jumps from the mower or tractor and falls beneath the moving wheels.

Most recently, the leading cause of injury and death of youth in Robeson County has resulted from the improper use of ATVs. Even adults do not seem to realize how dangerous these machines can be, especially when they are not operated properly. Even the manufacturers of these machines recommend that children less than 16 years old not be allowed to operate them.

Again, let me encourage you to take a few hours of your time this coming Saturday morning to make sure both you and your children are more aware of farm and home safety. The few hours you spend might save the life of your child or may prevent your child from having a disabling accident.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 09/12/01