With the Fourth of July right around the corner, this is a perfect time to get together with your family, enjoy the smell of barbecue and fresh beer, or go to a park and watch beautiful fireworks. After all, it is time to have some fun bonding with your loved ones and refresh yourself.

Don’t let any unfortunate incidents prevent you from fully enjoying this quality time. Here are some safety tips that you should keep in mind to ensure a great and safe holiday.

Driving Safety

Unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas, the Fourth of July is a very short holiday, usually just extended to a two or three day weekend. That means that more people are on the road at the same short period of time, which is very likely to cause traffic delays, frustration, and vehicle malfunctions under the hot sun. In these conditions, there are bound to be higher chances for unwanted accidents.

On average, 161 deaths in car crashes occur on the Fourth of July each year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Remember these tips to stay safe during the deadliest day on the road for Americans.

• Beware of the risks and expect long delays. The best thing to do to get you out of the aggression zone is to keep yourself busy. Put on great music, sing along or listen to an audio book to help keep your mind relaxed.

• Refrain from distractions when you get on the road, including loud music, texting or talking on your mobile phone, web-surfing, or eating or drinking behind the wheel.

• Always keep your seatbelt on and ensure your passengers are all buckled-up. If you have young children, properly secure them with children safety seats.

• Don’t drive after you have been drinking alcohol. Designate another driver if you plan on drinking. According to data from Traffic Safety Marketing, between 2008 and 2012, 765 people lost their lives in crashes due to drunk drivers during this holiday.

Fire safety

Fire is always hazardous, especially in the period when you would love to bring out firework kits and grill your hamburgers or hot dogs. Keep your family safe from fire injuries by following these tips.

• Keep babies, young children and even teens away from the grill and fireworks at all times. Never allow them to use any fire-related items without adult supervision.

• Clean your grill before using it. Burned leftovers may cause an unexpected fire.

• Never grill indoors. Keep the grill out in an open space, away from anything that could catch fire, such as tree branches or a wooden deck.

• Keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher close by in case of an emergency.

• Warning signs and age restrictions on fireworks should be strictly followed. Stay away from illegal fireworks. In fact, it is safer to just bring your loved ones to a firework show and spectate from a safe and comfortable distance.

• Dispose of your fireworks completely in a safe place that is free of heat and fire after the party.

At Lee Gurney, we always want you to be safe on the Fourth of July, as well as every other day of the year. However, if you or your loved one does get involved in a car accident or suffer from an injury this holiday, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Lee Gurney as soon as possible.