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New
Data Reveal Incorrect Use of Child Safety Seats Still a Major Problem in the
United States
National
SAFE KIDS Campaign to Open 30 New Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations Across
the Country
According to the largest national sample to date of child safety seat use by the
National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the majority of child safety seats continue to be
used incorrectly. This leaves cause for concern for the thousands of
families who travel by car.
Through
the National SAFE KIDS Campaign's child passenger safety program, SAFE KIDS
BUCKLE UP(R), sponsored by the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources and General
Motors Corporation, the Campaign analyzed the incorrect use patterns of more
than 37,000 child safety seats and vehicle safety belts observed at SAFE KIDS
BUCKLE UP Car Seat Check Up events from February 2001 to May 2002.
Overall, 81.6 percent of the child restraints were used incorrectly, with an
average of three errors per incorrectly used restraint. The most startling
figures were found when looking at rear-facing seats and forward-facing seats
with harnesses. Specific findings include:
62
percent of children in rear-facing seats and 67 percent of children in
forward-facing seats were in restraints with the safety belt not locking the
seat in tightly.
65 percent of children in rear-facing seats and 67 percent of children in
forward-facing seats were in restraints with loose harness straps.
"We are concerned to find that incorrect use of child safety seats
continues to plague unknowing parents and caregivers across the country,"
said Heather Paul, Ph.D., executive director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
"These seemingly small mistakes can lead to tragic consequences for
children, especially when compounded by multiple errors."
To address these common mistakes, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign continues to
provide resources to educate parents and caregivers about the correct
installation and use of child safety seats.
On August 28, 2002, 30 SAFE KIDS coalitions across the country will launch child
safety seat inspection stations. The inspection stations will offer
parents and caregivers personal instruction from certified technicians on the
proper use and installation of child safety seats. They will also offer
set hours of operation, so parents and caregivers can plan their schedules
accordingly. The inspection stations were made possible by the generous support
of the UAW- GM Center for Human Resources and General Motors Corporation.
"We hope that parents will take advantage of these regularly scheduled
opportunities to get child safety seats inspected. This is one more
service we hope will contribute to a decline in the number of children who are
incorrectly restrained or not restrained at all," added Paul.
"With the opening of these new inspection stations, the National SAFE KIDS
Campaign is providing a critical service to America's families," said
Marion Blakey, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "Many
young lives have been saved by the SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program and with the
release of these new numbers it is apparent that there is still more work to be
done."
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional injury- related
death among children ages 14 and under. More than 1,600 child occupants ages 14
and under die every year, and an estimated 248,000 children suffer injuries.
Changes are also being made in vehicles and child safety seats. LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children), a system that can make child safety seat
installation easier without using seat belts, will be required on all child
safety seats and vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002. Attachments on a
LATCH-equipped child safety seat fasten directly to anchors in a LATCH-equipped
vehicle.
Although LATCH can make installation simpler for parents and caregivers, it will
not completely solve the problem of incorrect use. Education on the
correct use of child safety seats, as well as installation using LATCH, is a
critical component.
To keep children safe, whether installing a seat using LATCH or a seat belt
system, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends the following:
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Always
read and follow the vehicle owner's manual and child safety seat
instructions.
-
Choose
a child safety seat that is appropriate for the child's size and
age.
-
Get
a tight fit. An installed child safety seat should not move
more than 1 inch from side to side or toward the front of the
vehicle.
-
Keep
harness straps snug and flat. Fasten the harness clip at
armpit level.
-
Restrain
all children ages 12 and under properly in the back seat on every
ride, and NEVER put a rear-facing child in a front seat with an
active passenger air bag.
-
Be
certain that everyone in the car is correctly buckled, even on short
trips.
LATCH and the new inspection stations are good news for families, in
light of the Campaign's study that found the majority of parents
attending child safety seat checkup events continue to make mistakes
when using child restraints.
To find out more about the nearest SAFE KIDS child safety seat
inspection station or event in your area, or for more information on
using child safety seats correctly, parents and caregivers can visit
http://www.safekids.org/ .
SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP is a program of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
Its goal is to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of
properly buckling up their children on every ride. Since its
launch in 1997, more than 265,000 child safety seats have been
inspected by SAFE KIDS coalitions nationwide.
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national
nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of
unintentional childhood injury -- the number one killer of children
ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS
coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico comprise the Campaign. Former U.S. Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop, M.D., Sc.D., is chairman of the Campaign.
A total of 30 SAFE KIDS coalitions across the country will launch
child safety seat inspection stations during Labor Day weekend.
The inspection stations will offer parents and caregivers personal
instruction from certified technicians on the proper use and
installation of child safety seats, as well as set hours of
operation so parents and caregivers can plan their schedules
accordingly. They were made possible by the generous support
of the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources and the General Motors
Corporation.
Inspection stations will open in the following cities (please check http://www.safekids.org/
for hours of operation and street locations):
Sacramento,
CA (SAFE KIDS Greater Sacramento)
New London, CT (SAFE KIDS Connecticut State)
Wilmington, DE (SAFE KIDS Delaware State)
Tampa, FL (SAFE KIDS Greater Tampa Area)
Marietta, GA (SAFE KIDS Cobb County)
Champaign, IL (SAFE KIDS Champaign County)
Chicago, IL (SAFE KIDS Chicagoland)
Indianapolis, IN (SAFE KIDS Indianapolis)
Topeka, KS (SAFE KIDS Shawnee County)
West Springfield, MA (SAFE KIDS Western Massachusetts)
Wheaton, MD (SAFE KIDS Montgomery County)
Holland, MI (SAFE KIDS Lakeshore)
Choctaw, MS (SAFE KIDS Choctaw)
Charlotte, NC (SAFE KIDS Charlotte-Mecklenburg)
Greenville, NC (SAFE KIDS Pitt County)
Hastings, NE (SAFE KIDS Tri-Cities)
Essex, NJ (SAFE KIDS New Jersey State)
Las Vegas, NV (SAFE KIDS Clark County)
Cleveland, OH (SAFE KIDS Greater Cleveland)
Toledo, OH (SAFE KIDS Greater Toledo)
Akron, OH (SAFE KIDS Summit County)
Harrisburg, PA (SAFE KIDS Dauphin County)
Greenwood, SC (SAFE KIDS Greenwood)
Houston, TX (SAFE KIDS Greater Houston)
Del Rio, TX (SAFE KIDS Val Verde)
Salt Lake City, UT (SAFE KIDS Utah State)
Richmond, VA (SAFE KIDS Richmond Area)
Walla Walla, WA (SAFE KIDS Blue Mountain)
Ellensburg, WA (SAFE KIDS Washington State)
Cheyenne, WY (SAFE KIDS Wyoming)
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