Playing it safe in the summer

Table of Contents

Make this summer a fun and safe one for you and your family by taking some precautions.

Property crime

Don’t be a target of property crime

Every summer, police see an increase in thefts in seasonal recreational areas.

Property left in driveways, carports, backyards, or out at your summer properties are prime targets for thieves. Items such as boat motors, boats and trailers, personal water craft (Jet Ski’s), dirt bikes, motorbikes, scooters, and ATV’s should be stored and secured properly.

Many summer seasonal recreation items are portable, valuable, and are popular with thieves.

If you are away from your seasonal property for an extended period of time, ensure it is well locked, windows are secured, and valuable items are removed. Take some precautions such as stopping regular newspaper deliveries or have a neighbor collect your mail. Setting up indoor lights to turn on and off automatically on timers could deter a thief.

Motor vehicles

Don’t be a victim of vehicle theft

Broken glass on car seat, arm reaching in to grab a wallet

When using day use seasonal recreational areas, ensure all valuables are removed from your vehicle, and ensure your vehicle is secured with an anti-theft device. Thieves don’t take a vacation but they wait for you to!

Don’t be a part of a motor vehicle collision

Drive smart and get to places safely.

Kids or pets left in vehicles could be disastrous

Child and dog left in car

Your car is basically a miniature greenhouse and temperatures can skyrocket extremely quickly inside. Don’t leave children or pets in parked vehicles. Not even parked in the shade. Not even with the window slightly cracked. On an average summer day, the inside of a parked vehicle can reach a dangerously high temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius in minutes.

Plan your trip accordingly. If you need to make a "quick stop", then for the health and safety of your child, take your child with you, even if it means getting them out of their car seat.

Heat stroke may occur very quickly and unexpectedly in children and pets. This causes symptoms such as dizziness, disorientation, agitation, confusion, sluggishness, seizure, loss of consciousness, and/or death.

If you see a pet or a child in distress inside a parked vehicle, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Water safety

Don’t push your limits when playing in water

Many drowning instances we have seen over the years have been as a result of fatigue and being too far from shore.

Hiking

Don’t get lost in the backcountry

Four people walking on the grass

Stay on the beaten path. If you do not know the area you are travelling in, a number of dangers could present themselves.

Personal safety

School is out - Keep youth safe

We want our youth to enjoy time off school, to relax and decompress. It is also important to help them enjoy that time safely and responsibly.

Here are some ways parents can help teens be proactive in scheduling summer activities:

For more safety tips, visit the Children and youth safety tips.

Do your part in protecting yourself, your family, and your community

Police intervention before things get out of control is always a better option.

Contact the local RCMP :

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