By MayoClinic.com

An afternoon at the pool or beach is a great way to escape summer heat. Understanding the risks of being around water and following some basic safety rules greatly reduces your chance of injury or drowning. Follow these tips to keep you and the young swimmers in your life safe in the water.

The best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips:

• Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.

It has been discovered that the wind chill index used by the National Weather Service since 1973, was wrong. It significantly overstated how cold it feels. After more than a decade of criticism from scientists, the weather service changed to a more accurate wind chill index several years ago.

Winter Driving Tips

The leading cause of death during winter storms is transportation accidents. Preparing your vehicle for the winter season and knowing how to react if stranded or lost on the road are the keys to safe winter driving.