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2.2 MORE COMMON DANGERS; HOW TO PREVENT CRIME, ACCIDENTS, INJURIES

== Most automobile accidents happen at intersections. This region of the highway where cars cross each other and change lanes is bound to be accident prone. Be especially alert at all intersections.

== Bicycles are extremely dangerous. Two wheeled vehicles are by their nature unstable and can never win against a car. Always wear a helmet.

== Dogs do bite and cause serious injuries. Young children especially should never be left alone with any dog. Children should never provoke a dog to bite, even in play.

== Guns are a real danger in your home. More people are killed or injured by their own guns than by the guns of criminals. Make sure that all your guns are unloaded, and hidden and out of reach of children. Keep bullets separately from the guns. Each member of the household who uses a gun should have adequate training.

== Noise is another hidden danger than many people are unaware of. Most of us know that a sudden loud noise can damage the ear. For example, President Reagan suffered a hearing loss as an actor when a stage gun went off close to him.

However, just as damaging is continuous loud noise over a period of time. Simple foam ear plugs will dampen noise considerably while allowing you to hear at a much softer level. These cost about $2 for a package of 12. You can usually find them near the gun section of discount stores. They may also be carried in drug stores. You can reuse them for a number of days until they become hard.

Make sure you read the directions about the right way to insert them into your ears. Twist and compress the foam plug very tightly and then insert it into your ear. The ear plug will expand after it has been inserted. I now travel with a set of ear plugs. I find that a lot of music is played much too loud for my taste.

== Local TV is notorious for exaggerating news about crime. One evening the lead story in my area was a murder that had happened three months ago in a city 300 miles away! If I hadn't listened carefully to the report, I might have thought that there was a local crime wave. TV news, especially local TV news, is more in the ratings business than the news business. A small robbery will attract more viewers than a school board meeting, even though the school board meeting may be much more important. So take the local evening news with a large grain of salt.

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