The White Falcon - 19.12.1980, Blaðsíða 8

B TJOkite falcon ^December 19, 19BD
HGUGAY
MITTY TO
The year-end holidays make a
difference in people. They seem
friendlier, are quicker to smile
and a little more inclined to live
up to the old tradition of peace
on earth, good will towards all,
that is so much a part of this
festive season. But it is also a
season marked by excesses. People
eat too much, drink too much, try
to drive too far and too fast in
too short a time, spend too much
money.
Unfortunately, doing things to
excess doesn't include safety. Too
many people don't pay enough atten-
tion to the safety and well being of
themselves and others.
For a really joyous holiday
season, take time to read these
safety suggestions. They'll keep
the holidays at your house accident
free.
Holiday trips Jc&y-
Whether you're staying home or
taking a holiday trip you'll be in-
volved in extra traffic. With more
traffic there are more chances for
an accident to happen.
Here is a fact to remember -
safety belts save lives. But they
have to be worn to work. Whether
you're going on an overnight trip
or just to the corner store for
some snacks, fasten your safety
belt.
Have you wondered about snow
tires and chains? Well, here are
the facts. Snow tires do a good job
for you on light or moderately snowy
roads, but when the going gets tough,
chains work best.
Because of the weather and the
extra traffic and the drivers who
have their minds more on the holidays
than the driving hazards, reduce your
speed, allow a safe interval and be
prepared to stop safely at all times.
£
Christmas trees
It's a fact that natural Christmas
trees are making a comeback. More
and more people prefer the beauty and
smell of real pine -needles.
To gauge the freshness of the
tree, bounce it off the ground a
time or two. A lot of needles will
fall off a dry tree, causing a fire
hazard in the home.
When you get the tree home, pick
a spot for it that's well away from
any heat source like a radiator or
fireplace. They make the tree get
drier faster.
If you have an artificial tree,
be sure it's labelled fire resistant.
And if it's metallic, don't string
lights on it - a dangerous shock
hazard could result.
Shopping
Holiday shopping can get you down
in more ways than one. Carrying
heavy, awkward packages slows you as
a pedestrian as well as taxing your
back. And don't make the mistake of
carrying packages stacked so high
you can't see where you're going.
What you can't see can hurt you.
Select well-made toys built to
take a pounding, and don't have
edges and projections that cut or
gauge. Toys with small parts that
can be pulled off and swallowed or
stuffed in ears are taboo for younger
children.
Any electrical gift should have an
Underwriters Laboratories label.
Use care also when there are
senior citizens on your shopping
list. Don't buy items that are hard
to open, close or lift.
Holiday cheer
We might as well recognize this
fact of life - for some people a few
drinks are the highlight of a holiday
get-together. When drinking is over-
done a little bit, it can lead to
horsing around and temper flare-ups
that could injure people and damage
furniture.
But the serious danger is the
drinking driver. Drinking is a
factor in at least half of all fatal
traffic accidents. If it's your
party, don't over do it when you
pour the drinks - keep them reason-
able.
Remember—in Iceland the laws are
especially strict, so if you drink,
don't drive.
Fire prevention
You don't want all the holiday joy
to go up in smoke, so be sure you
furnish plenty of large, deep ash-
trays for the smokers. Many home
fires start from the actions of
careless smokers. Empty the ash-
trays often and in a safe place.
Off limits
Try to prepare as much food as
possible ahead of time so you can get
it ready for serving with little or
no help. Make the kitchen "off
limits" to children in a friendly
way. Overcrowding and confusion in
the kitchen is a perfect setting for
accidents.
Tree lights
Keep this fact in mind when you're
shopping for new tree lights - you
should buy only strings which have
the Underwriters Laboratories label
on the package.
Check for light strings with
loose or broken sockets and cords
with bare wire showing before you put
the string on the tree.
Some people like to put up outside
decorations. They can be colorful
and help put people in the holiday
mood, but if you have plans for
decorating outside be sure you use
lights rated for outdoor use. Check
them carefully for defects.
Whether it's inside or outside,
make sure you pull the plug on
holiday lighting before you go to
bed or when you leave the house.
Think before you back up A
STOP!! Before you throw your cal
into reverse and tromp on the throt-
tle, do yourself a favor and THINK!!
*Is your rear window cleared?
*Can you see through your rear
view mirror?
*Have you carefully checked to
see that someone behind you is not
also backing out of his parking
spot?
*Do your back-up lights work?
*Have you checked for any im-
movable objects in your path?
*Do you require a spotter because
your car has many blind spots, and .
is your spotter in position outside
of the vehicle?
If you can answer yes to all of
the above questions, you can now
safely back out from the parking
lot.
Do your backing in a slow and
careful manner and you can avoid
the cause of the most common traf-
fic accident this time of year—
improper backing.
Thirteen of the last 19 govern-
ment vehicle accidents resulted
from improper backing. Don't be-
come a statistic—THINK!!
Merry Christmas!
By using these safety tips, we
can all have a merry and SAFE ChrisJ
mas this year.