Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July Celebration

The year was 1776. Settlers of the new world established their country as independent . This was the beginning of the festivities that take place everywhere in the United States on the Fourth of July. It is a celebration of freedom and of tyranny; however, it is one of the most dangerous celebrated holidays second only to New Year's Eve.

Holidays are times to have fun, break out the barbecue, spend the day with family and friends, and enjoy the wonderful firework shows across every major city and small town from one end of the country to the other. Safety is not a way to damper the festivities. It is only to prevent accidents. Ask any emergency room staff member how many accidents occur on this one holiday evening and it will be clear how much damage is possible.

First, it is important to watch your children. Sparklers are beautiful and it is difficult to imagine any child who would not love running about the yard twirling the flashing lights about in circles and zigzags; however, sparklers can cause severe burns if the child does not have proper supervision. The same holds true for any fireworks bought from roadside dealers or purchased and smuggled back into the states that forbid the sale of them. Any item that combines fire with any combustible material is a wakeup call for disaster if supervision is not part of the plan. Many children every year suffer first, second, and third degree burns from fireworks that misfire, are faulty, or did not include parental supervision during play. Children are immune from dangers associated with fireworks either. Adults are equally at risk. Stay safe. Keep a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and a cell phone or regular cordless phone handy in case it is necessary to contact 911.

Large gatherings at local parks pose somewhat of a threat for a person with a mind to kidnap a child. Keep your children safe, close, or at the very least purchase a cell phone service such as KaJeet, which on can find at kajeet.com so the children can check in with the parents and vice versa. Kajeet's rates are reasonable and do not require any long-term or even short-term commitments. It costs $0.37 a day for the service plus $0.10 a minute per call. If Kajeet is not your thing, take some time to check into the new Boost Mobile Nextel plans. Boost Mobile, like Kajeet, does not require long-term commitments; however, Boost Mobile does not offer the parental limitations of the Kajeet service. Parents can literally setup who can and cannot contact the child by signing into the kajeet website. Danger of kidnapping does not occur only within the large cities; these crimes are making their way into small towns as well. It is always best to have a game plan. Be proactive when it comes to the safety of your children. They are gifts more precious than the finest material things in the world. Enjoy them and keep them safe this Fourth of July season.

Alcohol is another hazard come Fourth of July. Many people are extremely social when it comes to drinking at holiday events. Hundreds of others will not limit their intake thus creating a major problem on the highways that can lead to countless of unnecessary accidents and deaths. If plans to serve alcohol are part of your celebration this year, take some time to arrange alternative ways to make sure your party guests get home safely.

It is equally important to remember to practice defensive driving in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July celebrations. While many hosts will seek alternative methods to send their guests home safely, others will not so prepare yourself to be a defensive driver taking special care to watch out for drives under the influence. Keep a cell phone with headset attachment handy to contact the police or sheriff's office with the license plate numbers of the person appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or other substances that alter one's ability to drive safely. Remember, each driver you assist in removing from the highway can make the difference between life, death, and/or a life of disability for someone else. Ask any person from the organization titled, MADD to share their stories.

Please take this story and remember it during the Fourth of July activities when considering the possibility to think twice about calling the police regarding a possible drunk driver. Over a decade ago, a beautiful young woman and her fiance were on their way to the bridal boutique for a fitting of her wedding gown. Her fiance planned to meet her at the boutique in about two hours, as he had to attend to his own attire for the wedding. The wedding date was approaching fast. In less than two months, the young happy couple's only care in the world was seating arrangements at the reception following the wedding. Unknown to anyone, the lives of two vibrant, joyous people were heading for disaster that would turn their world upside with no reprieve. A drunk driver hit their car and sent it careening off the embankment, rolling end over end until it came to a stop upside down several hundred yards from the roadway above.

The drunk driver had no injuries and little in the way of a memory of the accident. The fiance suffered a broken arm, concussion, and scrapes that later became bruises. What became of our bride-to-be? The accident broke her spinal cord several inches from the cerebral cortex leaving her a quadriplegic for the rest of her life. The day that was to be the first of many happier days to come became a nightmare. She spent well over several months undergoing surgeries to repair as much damage as possible yet all the surgeries failed. She spent well over a year in a rehabilitation facility learning to live her life with the use of nothing below her chin. The wedding never took place and to this day she lives with her parents since she is unable to care for herself; however, she does put her story to use by telling it over and over again so others may learn from the mistakes of the drunk driver that ruined her life. She is a major advocate of MADD otherwise known as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.

Keep this story in your mind while driving around in your vehicle during any holiday or even during regular daily commutes. The police, sheriff's deputies, and state troopers cannot be everywhere at once. Give them a hand. Keep a recorder such as the cheap micro-recorders nearby in your vehicle along with one of those Bluetooth or other headset units for cell phones to call the police so they can keep as many of these people off the street as possible. Take down the make, model, color, and any other distinguishing marks of the vehicle in addition to the license plate and the driver. In doing this, know that you are saving someone else the heartache suffered by a dear friend such a short time from her wedding day that never happened. Furthermore, imagine this person on the highway heading toward your wife, husband, mother, father, children, or best friend. Take them down. Get them off the streets. We all must stick together particularly during the holidays that bring out the worse in drunk drivers and those under the influence of drugs.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July Holiday. Enjoy your Fourth of July celebrations. Take time to remember what it is we celebrate. It is an important date in American history. However, also remember to take precautions to keep the celebrations as free of accidents, danger, and possible fatalities in the process.