The holiday season is an enjoyable time of the year for many American families, but there are also significant safety risks that everyone should acknowledge for a safe and pleasant holiday season. A few best practices and safety tips from our San Jose personal injury lawyers can help protect you and your loved ones so you can enjoy the holidays to the fullest.
Many Americans decorate their homes with Christmas trees for the holidays that can pose significant fire risks. Real trees purchased from Christmas tree farms and nurseries may be beautiful and smell great, but they also pose a severe fire risk if they dry out. If you decide to purchase a real tree this year, make sure to water it daily to ensure it does not dry out.
A dried-out Christmas tree can go up in flames in a matter of seconds and cause severe damage. Consider purchasing an artificial tree instead, if you have concerns about the fire risk of a real tree. Most artificial trees look great and some varieties come pre-lit for easier decorating, and you can reuse an artificial tree year after year.
Many Americans decorate the interiors and exteriors of their homes with strands of lights. Make sure to never use any light strands with damaged, kinked, or frayed wires. It is also worth investing in LED lights instead of incandescent lights. LED lights are harder to break, consume less energy, and produce less ambient heat than incandescent lights.
If you hang lights on the outside of your home, make sure you purchase exterior lights. Lights meant for outdoor use are more moisture-resistant than interior lights and will limit the risk of short-circuits or electrical fire from condensation accumulating in the lights. It is also wise to plug holiday lights into power strips with built-in circuit breakers or surge protectors and use automatic timers to ensure your lights are not left on when you leave the house.
The holidays usually mean large meals with the family. If you plan to cook for relatives and friends this holiday season, make sure you take your guests’ food allergies into account and refrain from serving anything that may cause an allergic reaction. Thoroughly cook all meat dishes to appropriate temperatures before serving to limit the risk of food poisoning from undercooked meat.
Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is one of the most dangerous times of the year for travel. This is due to the increased number of cars on the road full of people visiting loved ones for the holidays, drivers traveling through unfamiliar areas, and inclement winter weather that makes driving more difficult. A few tips for safer holiday travel include:
These are just a few of the ways you can have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Use good judgment and prepare accordingly for holiday travel and gatherings!
