Editorial: Don't let safety, common sense take a holiday this summer

With apologies to the solstice, people generally think summer starts Memorial Day and ends Labor Day weekend.

That puts the Fourth of July at the unofficial midpoint, marking a good time to offer a reminder about the need to be safe when enjoying all the activities sunny skies and warm temperatures encourage.

No doubt that warning sounds ominous, given that this time of year has a more relaxed feel to it than other seasons. The arrival of hot weather signals the kids are out of school, pools and beaches are open, people are hitting the open road for family vacations and there are outdoor concerts, festivals and backyard barbecues galore. As George Gershwin wrote: "Summertime, and the livin' is easy."

But that's the point. Because summer is a time to have fun, common sense sometimes takes a holiday. The result of a momentary lapse can be illness, injury or worse.

That need for caution certainly applies to the roads - particularly speeding, DUI, or distracted driving; in pools and lakes - a Colorado man recently drowned while swimming in Lake Leopold in Grayslake; and with fireworks - the legal, but super-hot sparklers, or more powerful items not legal in Illinois.

But what about the precautions involving daily summer activities that are often forgotten in the rush to have fun?

The National Safety Council offers a host of safety tips at nsc.org. Here are some worth emphasizing:

• Beat the heat: Anybody can be at risk for heat-related illness. Take extra breaks and drink lots of water.

• Bug safety: Mosquitoes can cause illnesses, including Zika and West Nile viruses. Use EPA-registered insect repellent with DEET and wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants. • Playgrounds: Emergency departments see more than 20,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related traumatic brain injury each year. Be aware of playground equipment risks and injury prevention strategies.

• Bicycling: Bicyclists often share the road with vehicles, but injuries can happen on a bike path. Wear a helmet and be aware of traffic laws, as cyclists must follow the same rules as motorists.

• Skateboarding: Everyone falls, but there's a right way to do it. In 2015, 125,145 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms after being injured skateboarding. Wear closed, slip-resistant shoes, a helmet and pads to reduce the severity of cuts and scrapes.

• Pedestrian safety: Cellphone distracted walking is a huge problem, and rarely are we more vulnerable than when walking, crossing streets and negotiating traffic.

Summer is a time to have fun, but you have to be safe and smart while doing it. Let's be careful out there.