Drive Sober and Leave the Fireworks to the Professionals

CLEVELAND – UH Rainbow’s Injury Prevention Center and Euclid Police Department advise the public to drive sober and leave the fireworks to the professionals this Fourth of July.

“Celebrating the Fourth of July can be full of fun, but we typically see an increase in hospital visits due to impaired driving and prohibited firework use,” says UH Rainbow Injury Prevention Center manager, Jennifer Walker.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), firework devices were involved in an estimated 8,500 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments around the Fourth of July holiday in 2021. Additionally, there were 9 non-occupational firework-related deaths during that time period.

Driving under the influence during the holiday also increases the occurrence of injuries and death among community members. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), 1,460 drivers were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the Fourth of July holiday period from 2017 to 2021 – 38% of the drivers killed were drunk.

As the holiday approaches, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s reminds everyone to celebrate safely using the following tips:

1. If possible, attend public firework displays. Leave lighting fireworks to the professionals.
2. Give children glow sticks instead of sparklers. Sparklers can heat up to more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and are dangerous for young children.
3. If you plan to drink, plan a sober ride home ahead of time.
4. Even if you’ve had only one drink, let someone who hasn’t been drinking take you home. A sober driver is one who does not drink at all, not the one who’s had the least to drink.
5. Always wear your seatbelt.