Summer’s here, school’s out and our children may be spending more time at the homes of friends or relatives.

Many parents wouldn’t hesitate to ask some basic safety questions before sending their child to play at another house: Will an adult be home? Is there a swimming pool on the premises? Might my child be exposed to something he or she’s allergic to? What kinds of video games will the kids have access to?

But it would never occur to most of us to ask if there’s a gun on the property, and it should.

Here are the sobering numbers:

* Every day, an average of eight kids and teens are killed by firearms in our country, and an additional 42 are seriously injured.

* One-third of American households with children have guns.

* In California alone, an estimated 84,000 children and teens live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked.

* Almost 90 percent of accidental shootings involving kids are linked to an easy-to-find, loaded handgun in the house.

* Eighty-eight percent of kids who are injured or killed in unintentional shootings are shot in their own homes or the homes of relatives or friends.

The Center to Prevent Youth Violence (cpyv.org), in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, has developed the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign to urge parents to ask their neighbors, friends and relatives if they have a gun in the home before sending their children over to play. For more information on the ASK Campaign, including tips on getting this conversation started with a friend or neighbor, visit www.AskingSavesKids.org.

Friday is the official first day of summer. It’s also been designated National ASK Day. Let’s help make this a safer summer for our kids by making the commitment to ask, “Is there a gun where my child plays?”

Naomi Williams

Coordinator, Yolo County chapter, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Davis

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