Safety First
Florida Guide > Hints and Tips
Safety in Florida is a matter of common sense and a few basic rules.
Make sure you have adequate insurance, if the worst happens and you fall ill or have an accident whilst you are on holiday, it will be very expensive to be in hospital anywhere in America.
If you have a mild illness or accident that requires medical attention, but does not require an ambulance, there are many walk in medical centres dotted around Orlando. These will cost very much less and will also be very much quicker than going to one of the big main hospitals.
There are many dentists available, just enquire at your management company office for your nearest.
Sunburn.
You are in the tropics once you arrive in Florida and only a few miles from the Caribbean. The sun can be very dangerous and should not be taken lightly. You are in danger of being burnt if you do not use adequate skin protection – minimum factor 30 and always wear a hat. You can even burn quite badly even if it is a cloudy day.
If you favour the once a day application sun blocks like P25 or Ultrasun then you will need to take them with you from the United Kingdom as they do not sell them in the United States. However on really hot days you may need to re-apply them to avoid burning. These days the best bet is a good factor 30 which has UVA & UVB protection.
Traffic.
If you drive please do be aware that you must wear seat belts at all times and you must report all accidents immediately whether anyone is hurt or not. You must always stop at “Stop” signs whether the road is clear or not – you will get booked if you are caught not stopping. They will not accept a “rolling stop”. NEVER jump traffic lights, there is far less time from going from red to green in the opposite direction.
When walking take great care when crossing the road. It is an offence to cross when the lights are against you whether there is anything coming or not. Most of the speed limits are 60 miles per hour so if you try and cross without care you will be hit VERY, VERY hard.
Water Parks.
These are great fun for all the family but you must NEVER leave small children unattended even if they are good swimmers. Swimming in your local pool at home is a very different experience to a water park with long slides that tumble into deep water. It is easy to become disoriented when you tumble off a rubber ring the wrong way up.
Always obey the lifeguards’ instructions, they are for your benefit. Never fool around in the parks as water and tom-foolery do not mix, or if they do the consequences can be dire.
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