Family Gift Ideas for Safety

For family gift ideas, consider presents that will make the family safer. After all, there's nothing more precious to a family than its health and safety. These gifts may not be as flashy as a new pink iPod or a soft cashmere sweater, but they'll bring piece of mind, and may help prevent injuries or worse.

Below are 12 gift ideas to help make a family safer. They're perfect for Christmas gifts, house warming gifts, or any other occasion where you want to show you care.

While an estimated 85% of homes in the United States have smoke detectors, federal officials estimate one third of them do not work. Smoke detectors wear out over time. Their useful life is typically stated on their labels, with a 10-year lifetime being common. If your family or friend's home has no smoke detectors, or you suspect they are over 10 years old, consider giving them a replacement set.

Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors sense the presence of poisonous CO gas. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless compound that is often referred to as a "silent killer" because it can poison people without them being aware. As with smoke detectors, the life of CO detectors is limited, with modern detectors having lifespans up to seven years long.

A fire extinguisher can be the difference between a minor flareup and a major house fire. Experts recommend keeping a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, garage and car. The fire extinguisher should be matched to the type of fire that would be likely in its location. For example, since kitchen fires often start with grease, a fire extinguisher for the kitchen should be capable of extinguishing grease fires.

If you're looking for a gift for a family with a multiple-story house, consider a foldable fire escape ladder. This type of ladder would allow the family members to safely escape from a second-story bedroom without breaking an ankle.

Emergency weather radios provide 24/7 warnings and alerts for severe weather such as tornadoes and thunderstorms. They can be programmed to monitor weather alerts only in nearby counties, and can be left on continuously to provide alerts even in the middle of the night when your family or friends are asleep.

Many people inadvertently start fires when they use candles to provide light during a power outage. Buy your family or friends a battery powered lamp so they'll have a safe light-source when they lose power.

In many areas of the country, the elements pose a severe risk to people who get stuck in their cars in bad weather. Consider giving your family or friends an automobile weather survival kit. For cold climates, the kit could contain a flashlight, matches, candles, food, water, warm hat, socks, mittens, heat reflecting blanket, shovel, road salt, booster cables, flares and a distress flag.

Many people put off buying new car tires due to their expense. Yet driving on bald tires increases the risk of accidents, particularly in wet and icy weather. If your dear family member is driving on old tires, consider paying for new car tires to make sure they have good traction the next time it rains or snows.

Most people know too little about handling injuries or other life-threatening situations. Consider enrolling your family member or friend in a first-aid or CPR class. Then he or she will be better equipped to handle these situations.

Many people drown each year simply because they never learned to swim. By giving a gift of swim lessons, you can help prevent such accidents. Of course, you'll also make it possible for your recipients to enjoy many hours of fun on and in the water once they learn.

The Internet can be a dangerous place for young children. If your family or friends have young children, consider buying them parental control software so they can protect their children from online predators.

There are many other products available that can make a family safer. Which products are most important depend on the particular family, including their home, cars, and activities. Think about their situation, and then buy an appropriate gift to improve their safety. They may not have thought of it, but it'll be one of the best presents they could imagine.