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With the weather warming up, many of us are ready to explore the outdoors and embrace all that summer has to offer.

From swimming in public pools to grilling on your outdoor barbeque, being bit by a deadly mosquito and suffering from sun poisoning, summer has shown to be more dangerous than we thought.

There are many risks you need to be aware of and precautions you must take in order to ensure your safety. For instance, wearing sunblock to avoid sunburn, knowing when the current is to strong and staying out of the water, and becoming aware of the deadly plants and pests that could kill you.

Although winter is known for its dangerous icy roads, some of us fail to realize that summer driving also calls for major concern. People are taking vacations which are causing increased congestion on the road. More people are riding around on motorcycles and teens are hitting the road in excitement.

Before you decide to rush into your summer fun, make sure you educate yourself on the summer dangers first.

1) The heat

The sun is extremely powerful. It sends off intense heat and when your body is unable to handle it, overheating and heat stroke may occur. Heat stoke is a life threatening emergency. It has the ability to cause rapid pulse, possible loss of consciousness, confusion and rapid, shallow breathing.

sparkler

Sparklers and fireworks may look pretty, but anything involving flames can go awry without proper handling. (iStock)

2) Fireworks

Summer is approaching, which means the Fourth of July is right around the corner. Many people enjoy watching beautiful firework displays, while others enjoy setting off the displays. According to News Week, some fireworks incidents turn deadly. “In 2014, nine people died from eight different fireworks related accidents, including two who were not the lighters.”

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3) Water sports

Depending on where you live, individuals wait year-round to experience the adrenaline pumping sports summer has to offer. Unfortunately, some of these sports have been shown to be deadly. Cliff jumping, surfing, whitewater rafting and scuba diving are just a few.

4) Public swimming pools

Many people flock to public swimming pools to cool off during the summer months. All of these people, in one circulating body of water calls for increased illness and disease. According to the CDC, recreational water illness (RWI) can be caused by the germs in contaminated swimming pools. They explain, “RWIs include a wide variety of infections, such as gastrointestinal, skin, ear, respiratory, eye, neurologic, and wound infections.” Make sure that you enter into a pool that is properly filtered and chemically treated at all times.

5) Poisonous plants

Coming in contact with poisonous plants can ruin your entire summer. The most common plants include poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. However, plants such as Belladonna, Rosary Pea and Wolfsbane have enough power to actually kill you.

See more potentially hazardous summer dangers that can kill.