24 Hazards That Are Trying to Ruin Your Summer

Stay safe around town

Watch out for distracted drivers

There’s no way to know if the drivers around you are texting or eating lunch or both. Your best strategy to avoid deadly accidents is to rely on defensive driving best practices.

• Use the “what if” strategy: As you are scanning the road, ask yourself, “What if that car runs that red light?” or “What if the driver ahead of me is reading a text?” Doing this allows you to respond to the situation and choose the most appropriate defensive action, such as covering the brake and/or increasing your following distance. 
• Speaking of phones, set yours to “do not disturb” while ­driving, and put it in a spot where it won’t slide around but will still be accessible in an emergency. 

—Ryan Pietzsch, driver safety educator, National Safety Council

How you can prevent road rage

Start with prevention, not provocation.

• Drive with common courtesy: Let others merge or change lanes, drive at a speed comparable to those around you, use your turn signals and don’t tailgate. 
• Tap (don’t blare) your horn only as a last resort. Show restraint if a fellow driver does something illegal or inconsiderate. 
• Avoid angry hand gestures, honking or cursing. 
• If you find yourself dealing with a hostile or ­aggressive driver, don’t engage. Keep driving calmly. If it escalates further, get to a public place, such as a police or fire station. Stay in your car. If you feel at risk, call 911. 

—William Van Tassel, manager of driver training, AAA

Protect yourself from a stranger behaving erratically

If you ever find yourself in this situation:

• Remain calm. 
• Move away if you want to and are able to do so casually. 
• If you, the person or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or, even better, 988 — a new national mental health emergency number. If you call 911, tell the dispatcher it’s a mental health emergency and ask for a mental health support response team. 
• If the person confronts you directly, use a quiet and respectful tone; reacting with high-intensity emotion may escalate the situation. A compassionate statement from you — such as “I’m sorry you’re going through this” — may help calm the person down. 

—Michael Flaum, M.D., immediate past president, American Association for Community Psychiatry

Avoid getting hit by a car

More than three-quarters of pedestrian ­fatalities in our research happened after dark, compared with less than a quarter during daylight, dawn or dusk.

• When crossing the street, use only designated crosswalks, which often have better lighting to make you more visible to drivers. 
• If you absolutely have to cross a street somewhere without artificial lighting, try using your cellphone’s flashlight. Shine it ahead of you to make yourself more visible to drivers. 
• If you regularly walk for exercise or have a dog that you take for walks, consider investing in clothing that makes you more visible. Alternatively, buy some reflective tape that can be easily applied to a jacket, shoes, dog leash or collar. 

—Pam Shadel Fischer, senior director of external engagement, Governors Highway Safety Association

How you can avoid deer collisions

Deer are most active at dusk and dawn, so that’s when your awareness should be highest. But deer-vehicle collisions can happen to anyone at any time. (In 2021, 18 percent of reported Michigan vehicle crashes — 52,218 of them — were deer-related.)

• If you’re driving by mountains, woods or agricultural fields, there are probably deer in and around those habitats. 
• Take wildlife crossing signs seriously; moderating your speed gives you more time to react. 
• Stay alert and don’t get distracted. If it looks like you’re about to hit a deer, don’t swerve. Hitting the deer will often do a lot less damage than what could happen from swerving, like going off the road or crashing into a telephone pole or another car. 
• Slow down if you can; if there are no drivers behind you, brake hard. 

—Chad Stewart, deer biologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Stay safe when you travel

Watch out for a dangerous crowd

Summertime is festival time: stadium concerts, fairs and crowded street parties. So please remember that the crush that killed more than 150 people at a South Korean street party last fall went from exciting to deadly in minutes.

• To reduce your chances of falling over or tripping, wear shoes that protect your feet, not high heels or sandals. 
• As you arrive, take a moment to look around and plot an escape just in case: Where are the entrances and exits that may be closer and less trafficked than where you came in? 
• If a crowd becomes uncomfortably dense, bend your arms and lift them in front of you like a boxer. Then lock your hands, creating a cage to protect your chest and lungs; many crowd-disaster deaths result from chest compression that prevents people from breathing. 
• Finally, stay on your feet. Don’t risk being forced to the ground while trying to pick up a phone or handbag. 

—Martyn Amos, professor of computer science at Northumbria University in the U.K., and coauthor of studies on crowd behavior

Protect yourself from room bandits

Keep yourself and your belongings safe on overnight getaways.

• Before you book a room, make sure your lodging is in the safest part of the city.
• Call ahead or email hotel management to ask about security precautions: For example, what controls are there on access to the main entrance and to room areas?
• At the hotel, take a few simple precautions. Put the Do Not Disturb sign on your door even when you are not in the room, to make it appear occupied. Use the safe in your room for locking up valuables and important documents such as passports. Finally, never share your room number with anyone outside your travel party. 

—Henning Snyman, security director, South Atlantic U.S. Region, International SOS

How you can prevent pickpockets

A few precautions to keep you safe while you’re out and about:

• Use a crossbody anti-theft purse with zipper locks or a hidden waist wallet.
• Don’t keep anything in your back pocket. 
• Remove anything from your wallet that isn’t necessary to carry while you travel. 
• Keep photos of your passport, credit cards and critical information in a password-protected folder on your phone or online storage account. 
• Make sure any travel partner has credit cards with account numbers different from yours, so you can still make purchases if stolen cards are canceled. 

—Kevin Coffey, retired detective, Los Angeles Police Department, and author of Traveler Beware! An Undercover Cop’s Guide to Avoiding: Pickpockets, Luggage Theft & Travel Scams

Stay safe outdoors

How to prevent heat-related illnesses

More people 50 and older are taking diuretics, antihistamines or beta-blockers, each of which can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses in the summer.

• If your urine is dark yellow, you’re drying out. Drinking water helps, but an electrolyte drink, such as Gatorade, Powerade or Vitaminwater, is better; sip it regularly until your urine is clear and more frequent.
• Get out of the heat upon any signs of heat exhaustion, including heavy sweating, thirst, pale or clammy skin, headache or dizziness. In as little as 30 minutes, heat exhaustion can progress to disabling or deadly heat stroke, which can damage internal organs. Symptoms can include hot, dry, red skin; profuse sweating; confusion; slurred speech; or loss of consciousness. 
• Move anyone with these more advanced symptoms to a cooler location immediately, then call 911. 
• Bring down the person’s body temperature by pouring cool water on their skin or getting them into a cold shower or bath. 
• Give the person an electrolyte drink if available. Do you live alone? Ask someone to check on you twice a day when the National Weather Service issues excessive-heat warnings. 

—James Williams, emergency medicine physician, Texas Tech University Health Sciences School of Medicine

Avoid ocean hazards

Sharks get all the attention, but the real danger at the beach is an unexpected rip current, which can sweep even the strongest swimmers away from shore. More than 80 percent of U.S. beach lifeguard rescues are of people caught in a rip current.

• If you’re in this situation, don’t panic and don’t exhaust yourself trying to fight your way back to shore; call and wave for help, then try to swim parallel to the shore to get out of the current. 
• Another water hazard is shore breaks — big waves that break close to shore, knocking swimmers down. Be honest about your swimming capabilities: If the ocean is rough and your capacity to swim and hold your breath is limited, stay out of the water until it’s calmer. 

—Stephen P. Leatherman, professor of coastal science at Florida International University and coauthor of Aquatic Accidents

How you can prevent tick bites

This could be a bad year for tick-related diseases. The ticks that carry Lyme disease thrive in warm and humid weather, and many areas of the country have had an exceptionally mild winter, with plenty of precipitation.

• While tall grasses and wooded areas are prime tick locations, in nearly 75 percent of reported Lyme disease cases, bites occurred in people’s own backyards. 
• Before going into the woods, put on light-colored clothing and a long-sleeved shirt, tuck your pants into your socks, and use DEET or another tick repellent. 
• Back home, do a thorough tick check on your body; quick removal of a tick can prevent transmission of the disease. Use a pair of tweezers you keep on hand for just this task; search online for the best way to remove, based on the tick’s location and size. 
• Finally, after spending time outdoors, immediately put your clothing in a tight plastic bag and as soon as feasible, throw it into a dryer and run a hot cycle. 

—Goudarz Molaei, chief scientist and director, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Passive Tick Surveillance Program

How you can prevent pickleball injuries

More than 60 percent of injuries sustained by pickleball players 60 and older resulted from slips, trips, falls or dives, according to our recent study of people who went to U.S. emergency departments. Wrist fractures are more common among women, while men are more likely to develop strains and sprains.

• Wear shoes that support lateral motion, like those for tennis — not running shoes designed for forward motion. 
• A lesson can help you learn the correct technique, and you might want to wear a wrist brace. ​
• To prevent strains and sprains, warm up for five or 10 minutes before playing. Loosen up your large ­lower-body muscles and shoulders. 

—Charles DiMaggio, director of injury research, NYU Langone Health, and coauthor of a study on pickleball injuries

Protect yourself from foodborne illnesses

Summertime is peak season for foodborne illnesses, thanks to bacteria-friendly high temperatures.

• To keep your picnic from being ruined by symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps, keep food ­refrigerated or in ice-filled coolers during transport and until it’s time to eat; re-chill after one hour on the serving table and use a separate cooler for drinks. 
• Be cautious with foods that could harbor listeria, such as cold cuts, unpasteurized soft cheeses and store-made tuna salads. 
• If you’re grilling, make a meat thermometer your go-to food-safety tool; cook burgers to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, steaks to 145 degrees, poultry to 165 degrees. 
• At home in the kitchen, extend your cleaning beyond countertops and cutting boards; cabinet handles, spice containers and kitchen towels can harbor microorganisms too. 

—Londa Nwadike, extension associate professor of food safety for Kansas State University and the University of Missouri

How you can prevent beestings

Hot, dry weather this summer is expected to increase the presence of stinging insects, including wasps, hornets and yellowjackets.

• At picnics, cover your food and drink. 
• Don’t wear sweet-smelling lotions or perfumes outside. If a stinging insect comes your way, calmly back up. 
• Don’t swat, which will make it feel threatened. 
• Is it a swarm? Run straight to an enclosed place, like a car with the windows up, to protect yourself. 
• If you do get stung, pull the stinger out with your fingernails as quickly as possible, since the longer you leave it in, the more venom passes into your skin. 
• Apply a cool compress to the area. 
• Most stings don’t require medical care, but if the sting leads to nausea, an all-over rash, breathing difficulties or dizziness, call 911; these are symptoms of anaphylaxis, a whole-body allergic reaction. 

—Nathan P. Charlton, M.D., member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council

How you can prevent sunburn

Nothing spoils summer fun like a sunburn. Plus, even one burn can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.

• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, but don’t make the biggest sunscreen mistake: thinking it lasts all day. Reapply it every 80 to 90 minutes — sooner if you swim or sweat.
• Wear clothing with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number on the label, a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses. 
• Staying out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will also help. 
• Call your doctor for severe burns with blisters, fever, chills, confusion or nausea. 

—Gregory G. Papadeas, osteopathic physician and dermatologist, Aurora, Colorado

How to not get lost on a hike

With its built-in map, compass and GPS, your smartphone may be your best friend on a hike. But it also has a battery and requires a wireless signal; relying on it alone could turn your outing from bad to disastrous.

• Carry an old-fashioned compass and learn how to use it. 
• Ditto for a paper map or printed trail guide. 
• Always let someone know where you’re going into the woods and what time you expect to come out. 
• Stay on marked trails. Seriously, do not step off the trail for any distance at any time for any reason. 

—Tom Hanrahan, former registered Maine guide and author of Your Maine Lands

How you can avoid poison ivy

Poison ivy is thriving thanks to rising soil temperatures and carbon dioxide in the air.

• If you think you’ve been exposed to poison ivy, use soap and water to wash body parts that may have come in contact with it. 
• Also wash your clothing and any tools you’ve used, since ­urushiol (a skin irritant released by poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac) can cling to items for years. 
• Treat mild cases with topical hydrocortisone and calamine lotion. 
• If the rash is severe, spread over a wide area or intensely itchy, see a doctor, who will most likely prescribe topical or oral steroids. 

—Donald Belsito, M.D., professor of dermatology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City