Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday tradition. This is when we to gather with friends and family, eat delicious food, watch football and the parade, and we do this after traveling in many cases. During that travel it’s critical to keep safety top of mind. This includes food safety, fire safety, pet safety and especially travel safety.
Travel Safety – Thanksgiving is typically the most travel-heavy time of the year. Since so many people are on the road it’s important to prepare in advance. This is when defensive driving, especially when you encounter bad weather, can mean the difference between life and death.
• Distracted drivers who text take their eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. When you’re driving at 55 mph, that is about the length of a football field.
• Buckle up, every trip. The driver should make certain every passenger is properly belted before moving the vehicle.
• Make sure your vehicle is well maintained. This may include having a professional check your tire wear, wiper blades and vehicle lighting.
• Plan your route ahead of time. Know where you’re going along with alternate routes in advance.
• Carry an emergency first-aid kit in the car. Check the contents in advance so you are aware of what issues can be handled.
• Be aware of weather conditions. If rain, fog or snow are forecast you can plan accordingly.
• Take caution in parking lots while out shopping.
• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) in excess of 40% of holiday car crashes involve alcohol. Tipsy driving is drunk driving and everyone is at greater risk. DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE!
Kitchen Safety – Keep young children away from the stove and have someone remain at home while the turkey is cooking.
• Scan the kitchen floor for tripping hazards.
• Keep matches, lighters, candles and knives out of the reach of children.
• Thanksgiving is the day of the year when most cooking fires occur according to State Farm Insurance.
• The U.S. Fire Department confirms that more than 4,000 fires occur on Thanksgiving Day and preparing deep fried turkeys, using a turkey fryer, is the cause of approximately 5 deaths, 50 injuries, and the destruction of 900 homes and more than $15 million in property damage every year. Kitchen safety is critical!
• During Thanksgiving more people are working to prepare a large meal. Mixing casual cooks with experienced chefs creates more dangers than imagined.
Fire Safety – Keep baking soda on hand to put out kitchen fires.
• Do not leave food cooking or the stove unsupervised.
• Make sure smoke alarms are working. Maybe it’s time to change those batteries!
• A household fire extinguisher should always be nearby.
• Never leave any candle burning unattended. Never burn a candle near flammable items like curtains or potpourri.
• Read and follow all instructions carefully when using a deep fryer and monitor closely!
• Incidents of choking and food poisoning increase during the holidays, especially around Thanksgiving, as people are preparing and consuming more food than usual. Know the signs of food poisoning and refresh on the Heimlich Maneuver.
• Food Safety News reports that approximately 51 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving.
Food Safety – Always wash your hands after handling raw or under-cooked poultry.
• Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and produce. Cross-contamination.
• The USDA recommends cooking the turkey at a minimum of 325 degrees. Use a food thermometer and cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 to 180 degrees to ensure the turkey is cooked thoroughly and to avoid illness caused by consuming under-cooked poultry.
• Store leftovers within 2 hours or toss them.
Pet Safety – The Veterinary Medical Association warns that turkey and chicken bones should never be given to pets because they can splinter and pets may choke.
• Dogs should be kept away from any dish that has onions, leeks, garlic, raisins, grapes or chocolate, as those foods can be hazardous to your dog’s health.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com
