Summer is here! The kids are out of school, the moose are calving, and life is good. And with the summer come new activities for families and kids: biking, boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, skateboarding, etc. With all this summer fun in mind, the Kenai Peninsula SAFE KID Coalition challenges you to a summer riddle.

Q: What do kids and moose have in common?

A: They're both unpredictable!

Here's some tips for improving safety for both moose and kids while driving:

· Make sure your kids wear a well-fitted bike helmet. If you need a low cost helmet, call Dr. Byron McCord's office in Soldotna at 262-5472. Dr. McCord is a SAFE KIDS coalition member and an expert at fitting helmets!

· Slow down! Let them cross, change lanes.

· Expect them to run/bike in front of the car.

· Watch where you are driving (don't be looking to the left for oncoming traffic when turning right.)

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death and injury to children ages 0-15 and children living in rural areas are at significantly greater risk of unintentional injury-related death than children living in urban areas, according to the National SAFE KID Coalition. This higher risk is due to a combination of environmental, behavioral, and economic factors, including reduced access to trauma care, lower levels of restraint use and a disproportionate share of people living in poverty.

In 2000, at least 26 children ages 14 and under died, and nearly 25,600 were treated in hospital emergency rooms due to All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) related injuries.

In 2001, 14 children ages 14 and under died as occupants in the beds of pickup trucks.

Drowning rates for all age groups are three times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

*In 2001, 60 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes occurred in rural areas. This prompts many parents and caregivers to ask questions like: Is my child in the right car seat? Has my child's seat been recalled? When can I turn my baby's car seat around to face forward? Why doesn't my car seat stay tight in the car? And the ever popular, my child can climb out of the car seatüwhat can I do?" said Jane Fellman, RN å CPGH Emergency Department Nurse and Coordinator for the Kenai Peninsula Safe Kid Coalition.

Results from safety seat checks have shown that four out of five car seats are used incorrectly. The only way to be certain yours is being used correctly is to have your car seat checked, free of charge, by a Safety Specialist.