Safety First: Organizations Share Important Reminders Ahead Of Summer

As the summer kicks off for a lot of people this weekend, several groups are warning about the importance of safety.

Safe Kids Tulsa held a news conference to discuss safety at the lake and on land ahead of Memorial Day.

"We have a lot of young people out there not only on the water, but also on the land, on their ATV's or side by sides, and parents too, and we just want them to realize you need to do the right thing to keep themselves safe," Mike Klumpp with Ride Safe Oklahoma said.

Klumpp said Oklahoma was ranked first in the nation this time last year in deaths involving ATVs and side-by-sides.

He said it's a statistic we don't want to have, and you should be wearing proper gear like long sleeves and helmets.

On the water, numbers are high too.

"Last year we had 18 deaths on our corps lakes, tragically most of those people were not wearing their life jackets. Most of those people may have known how to swim but were a little overconfident," said commander Tim Hudson with Tulsa Corps of Engineers.

Hudson said the corps wants people to enjoy their time, but any time on the water can be dangerous.

Park Ranger Ashley Novar said it's important to be wearing a life jacket.

"People know that kids need to be safe, they are always supervised, but the age range of fatalities are typically occurring specifically with me, ages 24 to 42," she said.

Grand River Dam Authority said it expects crowds on Lake Hudson and Grand Lake, and they want people to make happy memories by boating safe, boating smart, and boating sober.

"Use common sense. Watch out for the other guy. There will be large crowds out there. There's going to be some wave action and the sun beating down on you, just take your time and enjoy it. The lake is plenty big enough for everybody who comes out," said Justin Alberty with GRDA.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol is also having the click it or ticket campaign until June 4, meaning you will be cited if you get pulled over not wearing a seatbelt.