As the winter weather fades away, kids hit the sidewalks and parks in full force, many on their bicycles. But other items decked with wheels also make an appearance, such as skateboards, scooters and inline skates.

But as kids jump onto these devices for the first time this season, they may forget the safety precautions they have learned in the past.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these tips to stay safe outside this summer.

Scooters

The popular new version of the foot-propelled scooter has taken the U.S. market by storm. They are lightweight and can be folded for easy portability. As sales soar, so do the injuries related to scooters.

Scooter-related injuries have continued to increase in the past several years and orthopaedic surgeons nationwide are urging parents to be aware of the risks associated with unpowered scooters.

"With the increased popularity and affordability of new scooters, parents need to be aware of the dangers associated with them," said Dr. Stuart Weinstein, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. "Very often, children do not wear protective gear and are not fully aware of important safety precautions."

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in the year 2001 there were more than 234,000 injuries related to unpowered scooters, costing more than $252 million in medical, legal, work loss and pain and suffering expenses.

In one month alone, more than 8,600 scooter injuries surpassed inline skating injuries. Most injuries were caused when riders fell from the scooter. Fractures and dislocations accounted for 29 percent of the injuries and 85 percent of the injuries were to children under 15.

Following these safety tips can reduce scooter-related injuries:

Wear protective gear including a helmet, wrist protectors, knee/elbow pads.
Wear sturdy shoes. Never wear bare sandals or flimsy footwear.
Children under 8 should not operate a scooter.
Be familiar with the steering, handling and brake system.
Practice riding in a closed, protected area.
Avoid steep hills, slippery/uneven surfaces and crowded walkways/streets.
Obey traffic signs.
Never operate the scooter at night.

Inline Skating

Inline skating is one of the fastest-growing recreational sports in the United States, and many families and children are ready to lace up their inline skates and take to the recreational trails and sidewalks to enjoy this popular activity. More than 26 million Americans participate in the sport of inline skating.

But it also ranks high in injuries. Hospitals and doctors' offices treated an estimated 172,000 inline skating-related injuries in 2001, according to the CPSC, with an estimated cost of more than $3 billion in pain and suffering, medical, work loss, legal and liability expenses.

"Many of the injuries occur when skaters lose control and as much as one third of the injuries reported occur to the hands and arms," said Dr. Stuart Weinstein, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends the following safety guidelines:

Perform warm-up exercises before and after skating.
Learn the basics of the sport, particularly how to stop properly, before venturing into vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
Continue to wear protective gear, including a helmet, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads. Take good care of your skates.
If you feel that you are going to fall while skating, try to fall on your left or right side, instead of falling on an outstretched hand.
Obey traffic signals, stay at the right side of the road, and do not weave in and out of lanes. Avoid skating in crowded walkways.
Choose smooth pavement, preferably in a supervised skate park.

Skateboarding

Each year, more and more teenagers participate in the sport of skateboarding. It involves speed, balance and coordination, and can sometimes result in serious injuries. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 26,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year with skateboard-related injuries.

Sprains, fractures, contusions and abrasions are the most frequent. Seventy-four percent of reported injuries are of the extremities. Among these, wrist and ankle fractures are the most common. Head injuries accounted for 21 percent of all injuries.

Six out of every 10 skateboard injuries are to children under 15, and skateboarders who have been skating for less than a week suffer one-third of the injuries.

"Injuries most always result from accidental falls due to loss of balance," said Dr. Stuart Weinstein, pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. "Underdeveloped motor coordination is the main cause of these falls in the younger and less-experienced riders. In addition, the smaller the child, the higher the center of gravity due to the larger proportion of the head."

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following tips to avoid skateboarding injuries:

Children under age 5 should never ride a skateboard. They do not yet have the physical skills and thinking ability a person needs to have to control a skateboard and ride it safely.
Choose the right board.
Take good care of your skateboard. All skateboards will wear over time. Check for hazards such as loose, broken or cracked parts; sharp edges on metal boards; a worn or slippery surface; and wheels with nicks and cracks.
Buy the safety equipment including slip resistant shoes, helmets, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards, and gloves -- and don't forget to use them. Getting your child to wear protective gear may be a challenge. Emphasize common sense and point out how experience may be a very painful thing to learn from. Understand that peer pressure may strongly influence your child's choice and remind your child that it is not cool to have crippling injuries.
Remember that many falls result from obstructions on riding surfaces such as small stones, sticks, bumps, and holes in or on the riding surface. Choose smooth pavement, preferably in a supervised skate park.
Set the rules about where and how the skateboard can be used. Don't ride in traffic. Carry the board when crossing roads. Avoid skateboarding in crowded walkways. Do not "skitch" on cars, trucks, motorcycles, or bicycles.
Skateboarding accidents happen, so know what to do in an emergency.