Thursday, February 15, 2007
National Child Passenger Safety Week, February 11-17, 2007
Dis you know that this week is Child Passenger Safety Week?
National Child Passenger Safety Week occurs each year during the week of Valentine’s Day, bringing public attention to the importance of safely transporting children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Placing children in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.
The Problem:
Dis you know that this week is Child Passenger Safety Week?
National Child Passenger Safety Week occurs each year during the week of Valentine’s Day, bringing public attention to the importance of safely transporting children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Placing children in age- and size-appropriate restraint systems reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.
The Problem:
- In the United States during 2005, 1,451 children ages 14 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 203,000 were injured. That’s an average of 4 deaths and 556 injuries each day.
- Of the children ages 0 to 14 years who were killed in motor vehicle crashes during 2005, nearly half were unrestrained.
- Seat all children ages 12 years old and younger in the back seat and be sure they are properly restrained every time they ride in a motor vehicle–even during those quick trips to the corner market
- Read both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner’s manual to make sure you are properly installing and using the seat. One study found that 72% of nearly 3,500 observed child restraint systems were misused in a way that could be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash (NHTSA 2006b).
- Send in your car seat registration card so that the manufacturer can contact you about any recalls. You can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Auto Safety Hotline, (888) 327-4236, to find out about recalls.
- Replace any car seat that was used during a motor vehicle crash.
For more information visit:
- The National Highway & Traffic Safety Administration
- The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
- Buckle Up America
- Consumer Reports
Let's be careful out there...
// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 4:50 PM 
