Common sense underrated

Summer in Eastern Washington is a beautiful thing.

The sun is shining. The lakes are calling. Campers are dusting off trailers. Kids are riding bikes until dark.

Someone, somewhere, is already standing in line for ice cream.

It’s a season we’ve all been waiting for. It’s also the season when common sense quietly packs its bags and takes a vacation.

Every year, it happens.

A person who wouldn’t dream of jumping off their roof decides it’s perfectly reasonable to ride an inner tube behind a boat without a life jacket. Someone looks at a dry field, 98-degree temperatures and 45 mph winds and thinks, “You know what? Today’s the perfect day to mow.”

Summer has a way of convincing us we’re invincible.

Let’s start at the lake.

Whether you’re boating, paddle boarding, tubing, fishing or simply floating around pretending you don’t have responsibilities, wear a life jacket. Yes, even if you were a swim team champion.

The lake doesn’t hand out participation trophies. Cold water, unexpected waves and accidents happen. A life jacket is kind of like sunscreen. You don’t appreciate it until you really need it.

Speaking of things that start small and become giant problems, let’s talk wildfires.

In Eastern Washington, we live in wildfire country. The challenge is remembering that when tackling weekend projects.

The region’s version of Russian roulette might be mowing a dry pasture during the hottest, windiest part of the day. Then there are the classics: cigarette butts, welding projects, fireworks, exploding targets, parking in tall grass and that mysterious confidence some people develop when handling flammable materials.

Wildfires don’t usually start because someone woke up planning to burn down half a county. They start because someone thought, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

And what about fireworks?

The annual argument usually goes something like this:

“They’re just sparklers.”

Yes. Illegal sparklers.

The safest way to enjoy fireworks may be letting a professional launch them while you enjoy the show from a comfortable distance.

Summer is also prime walking season.

Nothing beats an evening stroll. The weather is nice. The scenery is beautiful. The mosquitoes haven’t completely taken over, yet.

Just remember that vehicles have a surprising tendency to continue driving on roads.

Look both ways before crossing, use crosswalks and stop staring at your phone. These are not revolutionary concepts, but they are effective.

Then there’s driving.

Traffic safety experts refer to the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the “100 Deadliest Days” because fatal crashes involving teen drivers increase.

For younger drivers, summer means freedom. Unfortunately, freedom occasionally arrives with speed, distractions and a tendency to believe that every vehicle is secretly a race car.

For the rest of us, summer driving often means construction zones, recreational traffic and wondering why the person in front of us is driving exactly 59 mph.

A little patience goes a long way.Take a breath. Turn up the radio. Enjoy the scenery.

The destination will still be there when you arrive.

And finally, heat.

Every summer, public safety officials issue reminders about children and pets left in vehicles.

The reason is simple: vehicles become ovens much faster than people realize.

If your dog can’t go into the store, leave it at home. If you have children, look at the back seat, then double-check.

The good news is that most summer safety advice boils down to the same thing: Common sense.

Summer is too short and too beautiful to spend dealing with preventable disasters.

So, enjoy the lakes. Enjoy the campgrounds. Enjoy the backyard barbecues, road trips and late sunsets.

Just remember to pack a little common sense along with the sunscreen.

You’ll need to use both.

— Brock Hires is managing editor for The Okanogan County Chronicle. Email him at news@omakchronicle.com.