SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Utah’s 2018 hunting season is underway, and many people are preparing for the season. It’s a good time to make sure you’re also practicing proper gun safety.

According to a 2017 Pew Research Study, only 54% of parents with guns keep them locked away, and only 53% keep them unloaded.

You may think that telling your child how dangerous a gun is will deter them from touching it, but children are curious and until the age of about 10 may not understand the risk of using a firearm, or even understand the finality of death.

Another thing to consider: according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 22% of children with gun-owning parents have handled the firearms without their parents’ knowledge.

That’s why it is so important to practice safe storage of firearms and to educate children about gun safety. While owning a gun is a right, protecting your child is a responsibility.

There are many tools you can use to safely store a firearm. Most can be bought at any gun or sporting goods store.

• Cable locks – typically cost between $10-$50; they can be used on most firearms and prevent guns from being accidentally fired while also offering quick access in an emergency.
• Trigger locks – typically cost between $5-$30; they use either a key or combination to block the triggering sequence.
• Lock boxes – typically cost between $50-$350; the boxes are portable and are an effective way to store or legally transport a firearm.
• Gun safe or vault – typically cost between $200-$2,500; allows for the storage of multiple firearms in one place.

In addition to properly storing your firearm, ammunition should be stored in a separate location.

And don’t forget to educate your children that if they come across a gun, whether in your home, at a friend’s house or elsewhere, to immediately:

• Stop what they are doing
• Don’t touch the gun
• Tell a parent or adult right away
• Call 911

If you want a free safety kit, which includes a cable gun lock and instructions, you can go to Project Child Safe. There you will find information about the local police agencies who offer them.

More resources and information:

http://bulletproofkidsutah.org/

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/gun-safety.html

http://www.projectchildsafe.org/parents-and-gun-owners