ATLANTA (Cox News Service) -- School's out in three weeks. But while summertime is fun time for kids, it's also the mean season for childhood injuries.

Kids suffer more accidental deaths and injuries between May and August, the National Safe Kids Campaign concluded in a study last year.

In fact, accidental injury - not disease or violence - is the No. 1 cause of death across the nation for children 14 years and younger. Before vacation starts is a good time to review basic safety rules or restock first-aid kits. Some things are as simple as remembering to put sunscreen (minimum SPF 15) on kids when they play outside or making sure stairways are free of toys or other items that may be tripped over.

The message of the Washington-based advocacy group, which designates this week National Safe Kids week, is that even these small efforts can make a difference.

Emergency-room visits by children nearly triple to 3 million across the country in the summer, ranging from head injuries to broken bones. Georgia officials also report increased emergency-room visits and children's hospitalization because of accidents. Two years ago, nearly two of every five children's accidents requiring a hospital stay in Georgia occurred between May and August.

"We get tons of wrists fractures from falls from the monkey bars compared to the winter," said Richard Westgate, manager of pediatric emergency services for WellStar Health Systems.

During the winter, injuries account for about 10 percent of WellStar's pediatric ER calls. The number swells to 30 percent or 40 percent by summer.

"It's a noticeable spike," Westgate said.

In Lilburn, Scott Watkins isn't surprised that childhood injuries spike in the summer.

"They're not constantly under adult supervision. They're not on the schoolyard with a teacher all the time," the 37-year-old trucking manager said.

Watkins tends to keep closer watch over his 3-year-old daughter Sydney compared to his other daughter Alex, who's 7. Alex plays in the backyard without the constant eye of a parent.

"I'm not there to tell her not to ride the skateboard down the slide," Watkins said, describing how Alex suffered a recent skinned knee.

"They were playing `Fear Factor,' " Watkins said, referring to a TV reality show.

Alex cried but was made all better after some ice and TLC.

Watkins didn't witness the accident.

"The little one came in and said Sissy was hurt," Watkins said.

The hazards are always there: bikes, boats, cars, skateboards, playgrounds, pools and scooters.

Summer safety tips include:

-Leaving checklists for young teens left home alone. Numbers for emergency contacts, doctors, poison control centers, parents' work and cellphones should be posted near the phone. In case of fire, kids should know where to meet outside the home.

-Wearing helmets and wrist guards when riding bikes, skateboards, inline skates or scooters. Georgia law requires kids under 16 to wear helmets while biking on public roads, sidewalks or bike paths.

-The National Safe Kids Campaign reports that nearly 51 percent of children ages 10 to 14 who suffered a serious bike injury were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, compared with 44 percent of children ages 5 to 9 and 38 percent of children ages 4 and under.

-Examining playgrounds, where 79 percent of the injuries involve falls. The injury risk quadruples if a child falls from equipment more than 5 feet high. Avoid playgrounds with grass or asphalt under equipment.

-Respecting the pool, beach and lake. More than 6,200 children drowned between 1991 and 1999. Children should never swim unattended. Kids who can't swim should use Coast Guard approved flotation devices with parental supervision.

-Preventing falls in the home. Area rugs should be secured. Something as innocent as a magazine on the floor can cause a nasty spill. Babies should not be left alone on beds, changing tables or sofas.

Metro Atlanta's Cobb County firefighter Dennis Rucker said emergency calls nearly double in the summer because kids and their parents tend to be more carefree.

"Kids are more active. They're not in school," Rucker said. "People are just out doing more things outside. They get into a careless kind of mode. They're enjoying themselves and enjoying their kids and they're not paying attention and they don't think about the repercussions."

A common mistake when families travel during the summer is the improper use of child safety seats. As many as nine of every 10 motorists who uses a child safety seat installs the device incorrectly.

More than 1,800 children 13 or younger died in motor vehicle accidents in 2000. The number of deaths was 60 percent higher from June to August than during the winter - largely because more people are on the road. During the week, half of all motor vehicle deaths suffered by children occur between Friday and Sunday.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make with car seats is turning infants forward before they're old enough. An infant's head is largely unsupported before age 1, said Gainesville, Ga./Hall County, Ga. Safe Kids Coordinator Allison Wilson. During an accident, a child that age is more prone to whiplash injury.

Infants can face forward when they're 1 year old and weigh at least 20 pounds, Wilson said.

"I don't think they're making more mistakes in the summer," Wilson said. "That's a year-round thing. There are just more people out."

Copyright 2002 Cox News Service. All rights reserved.