Summer can be a dangerous time of the year. Here are some precautions you can take to keep your child's summer safe and happy.

Water Safety
Drowning is one of the greatest risks for children ages 14 and under, so always watch children closely when they are near water. Children age 4 and younger have the highest drowning rate.

• Watch young children carefully, even if you're not near a pool, lake, river or ocean. Small children can drown in as little as one inch of water, and have drowned in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, toilets and hot tubs.
• Install pool fencing and lock the gate.
• Teach your child to swim. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children begin swimming lessons at four years old.
• Even if your children can swim, never let them swim unsupervised.
• Keep children in your direct line of sight while supervising them. Be cautious about becoming distracted with poolside reading, socializing with guests or listening to music with a headset. Children can drown silently and quickly, and many have drowned while preoccupied adults were near the pool area.
• When boating, have your child wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest. Approximately 85 percent of boating-related drownings could have been prevented if a life jacket had been worn. Blow-up water wings and other pool toys should not be used as life jackets or life preservers. Most states have laws that require children to wear life jackets.
• Set a good example by wearing your life jacket and encourage other adults to do so as well.
• Be aware of undercurrents, tides and waves. Children -- and adults -- can be swept away by these unexpectedly strong forces. Check for signs posted in the area or check tide charts to know when high tide will be.
• Make sure water is at least nine feet deep before you let your child dive.
• Learn CPR so you are ready for an emergency. Children ages 13 and older should learn CPR as well.

Heat and Vehicle Safety
Many children have been seriously injured or died when left in a car during the summer months. Remember these safety measures:

• Never leave a child alone in a car. Even with a window cracked, a closed car can overheat in a matter of minutes.
• Make sure all children get out of the car when you arrive at your destination.
• Keep your car -- including the trunk -- locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway so a child can't sneak in and become trapped.
• Teach children not to play in or around parked cars, even at home.
• Check the temperature of the car seat surface and safety belt buckles before buckling your child in the car.