Fall 1999 Spotlight

Volume 14: Issue 3 1999

Showing Concern for Child Passengers

The SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program addresses one of the most disturbing problems in America today: the high rates of death and injury to children under age 14 in motor vehicle crashes. According to the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA), more than 1,500 children in that age group die each year in vehicle crashes, and about 280,000 are injured.

About 85 percent of used correctly. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign, through its State and more than 270 Local Coalitions, coordinates Car Seat Check Up events nationwide to teach parents, caretakers, and others the correct use of child safety seats. The checks are part of the Campaign’s SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program.

Child passenger safety specialists, who are often certified by NHTSA, conduct the Check Ups. They inspect vehicles to deter-mine if the car seats are being used correctly. The specialists then complete assessment forms, which include items concerning the proper use of child restraints, installation of the car seat, and the fit of the child in the seat. The specialists also determine if the seat has been recalled. SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP collects these forms for en-try into a database for analysis.

SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP, which is a 5-year, $10.6 million initiative sponsored by General Motors, was started in 1997. Since then, more than 70,000 people have attended Check Up events, and about 35,000 child safety seats have been reviewed. Check Ups are held primarily at General Motors car dealerships, KIDS BUCKLE UP. The CBC Web site (www.safekids.org,) lists scheduled Check Up events at dealerships nationwide.

SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP is involved in media-related outreach activities, including news conferences and an ongoing television, radio, print, and public ser-vice campaigns about child passenger safety. Copies of the SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP brochure can be obtained by calling (800) 441-1888. For information on buying a car seat and re-called car seats, a list of certified child passenger safety technicians, and frequently asked questions, call NHTSA’s hotline at (800) 424-9393 or visit NHTSA’s Web site (www.nhtsa.dot.gov).

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign, which sponsors SAFE KIDS size-appropriate child safety restraints:

• Use a rear-facing infant or convertible seat from birth until the child is at least 1 year old and weighs at least 20 pounds;

• Use a forward-facing convertible seat for a child older than 1 year who weighs between 20 and 40 pounds;

• Use a car booster seat for 40- to 80-pound children, who are usually 4 to 8 years old; and

• Use a lap-shoulder belt for children who outgrow booster seats. Make sure the lap belt fits low across the child’s upper thighs and does not cross the stomach. The shoulder belt should fit across the center of the child’s shoulder and not cross the face or neck.

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