Let's Talk Deep Fried Turkey Be Smart, Stay Safe this Thanksgiving Deep frying a turkey is one of the most amazing ways you can prepare a holiday bird. Unfortunately, the flames that can potentially engulf your home if you don't follow some simple precautions will amaze your family, your guests and your neighbors too as the fire trucks roll in to extinguish your celebration. Follow this advice, however, and you can have your safely fried turkey and eat it too! First and foremost, fully defrost your bird, which can take as long as 6 days in the fridge for a 20-pound or larger turkey. Immersing even just a partially frozen turkey into boiling oil is a recipe for disaster. This can't be stressed enough. It's not a case that it "might" cause fireworks you'll never forget. It's the No. 1 holiday fire-starter that repeats every year to careless newbies. Always locate your fryer outdoors, on a stable surface and away from wooden decks, overhanging trees, eves, patio covers, trellises and awnings, and preferably a safe distance away from your home should a spill or grease fire occur.  Do not overfill your fryer. Upon immersion, your turkey will displace the hot oil, and an overfilled fryer will overflow. And spill damage to your lawn or driveway is the least of your concerns. Spilling oil onto the fryer's heating element or open flame is a great way to start a fire.  Monitor the oil temperature from start to finish to avoid combustion as the temperature of most cooking oils will continue to rise under continued high heat.  If you're new to deep frying, it's not our intent to scare you away from this delicious alternative cooking method. Millions of Americans deep fry their holiday turkey every year with yummy success. But like driving or using power tools, etc., there are a few basic safety precautions to heed.

Low Speed Limits in a Community Can be Deceiving They Provide a False Sense of Security  Very low posted speed limits are typical in residential communities, but law-breaking speeders are only half the equation. A bigger problem, say authorities, is the false sense of security a driver can feel behind the wheel of a vehicle traveling at low speeds.   Because of the luxury of additional reaction time that traveling at 20 mph, for example, allows, drivers can be lulled and distracted by their cell phone, items in their vehicle and searching for an address, etc. Compounding the problem are pedestrians, often elderly or very young, who tend not to pay as much attention to their surroundings when in their own neighborhood. You'll often see jaywalking, residents not paying attention to moving vehicles and kids playing in the street.  Bottom line? Stay vigilant while driving through a community, even at very low speeds. And pedestrians, this goes for you too. Stay alert. A 2-ton car traveling at 10mph still weighs 2 tons.