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February Tips of the Month:
Child Passenger Safety
National Child Passenger Safety Week
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of
death among children in the United States. According to the
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Traffic
Crash facts 2002 data shows that 75 percent of children under 4
years of age avoided injuries during traffic crashes because
they were properly restrained, compared to 61 percent who were
without restraints. Similarly, 73 percent of children within the
4 to 5 age groups escaped injury compared to 64 percent without
child restraints. The fatal injury for children under 4 years of
age without restraints was 6.5 times higher than the under 4
years of age with restraints. Similarly, the fatal injury for
children in the 1 to 5 year age group without safety restraints
was 6.4 times higher than the same age group with safety
restraints. Sixty-six percent of fatalities in the 6 to 17
year age group were without seatbelts.
Most of these injuries
could have been prevented. Placing children in age appropriate
restraint systems reduces serious and fatal injuries by more
than half.
All children ages 12 years
and younger should ride in the back seat. This eliminates the
injury risk of deployed front passenger-side airbags and places
children in the safest part of the vehicle in the event of a
crash.
If you have been in a motor
vehicle crash with a child passenger safety seat, it needs to be
replaced. It may have been weakened and should not be used, even
if it looks fine.
Always read the child
passenger safety seat manual and keep it with the seat. Also, be
sure to send in the registration card that comes with the car
safety seat. It will be important in case your car safety seat
is recalled.
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