OUT & ABOUT
SAFETY – Motor Vehicle Safety
Navigate Page: General
Vehicle Safety – Backing-up – Heat Safety & Trunk
Entrapment
Motor Vehicle Safety
· Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. (CDC 2006).
· 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 (NHTSA 2006d).
· Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years (NHTSA 2006d).
· The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends booster seats for children until they are at least 8 years of age or 4'9" tall (NHTSA 2006d).
Each year thousands of children die in motor vehicle accidents. Sadly, most of these tragedies could be prevented with the use of age-appropriate child restraint systems. To protect your children:
Never allow children (or
adults) to ride in a vehicle without proper restraint.
Never allow children 12 years or younger to ride in the front seat. The risk of injury or death from front passenger-side airbags is very high and the rear seats are the safest part of the vehicle in the event of a crash.
Never install child restraint systems in the front passenger seat. Child restraints should be installed in the backseat in the forward or rear-facing position according to age/weight recommendations.
Protect children ages 4 to 8 (about 40 to 80 pounds) with a booster seat and restrained with lap and shoulder belts every time they ride. Adult safety belts alone do not adequately protect children this size from injury in a crash.
Learn how to install child restrain systems properly by enrolling in car seat classes in your community. You can find some information about car seats at TMC car seat program.
What
is the child occupant protection law in your state? Read the Safe Kids report,
Child Passengers At
Risk: A National Rating of Child Occupant
Protection Laws (February 2001) to find out.
OUT & ABOUT SAFETY – Motor
Vehicle Safety
Backing-Up
Every
year, thousands of children are hurt or die because a driver backing up didn't
see them. Over 60% of backing-up incidents involve a larger size vehicle.
(truck, van, SUV). Tragically, in over 70% of these incidents, a parent or
close relative is behind the wheel (Kids and Cars, 2006).
To keep children safe:
Walk around and behind a vehicle prior
to moving it.
Know where your kids are. Make children
move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before
moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children
before moving your vehicle.
Teach children that “parked” vehicles
might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might
not be able to see them.
Consider installing cross view mirrors,
audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of back up
detection device.
Hold children’s hand when leaving the
vehicle.
Teach your children to never play in,
around or behind a vehicle.
Keep toys and other sports equipment
off the driveway.
Never leave children alone in or around
cars-not even for a minute.
Keep vehicles locked at all times; even
in the garage or driveway.
Never leave vehicle keys within reach of
children.
Always make sure all child passengers
have left the car after it is parked.
Take extra precautions to keep children
safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of
crisis or holidays.
OUT & ABOUT SAFETY – Motor
Vehicle Safety
“Many parents mistakenly
think they can leave a child in a vehicle while running a quick errand. Unfortunately
a delay of just a few minutes can lead to tragedy. Extreme heat affects infants
and small children disproportionately. Heat rapidly overwhelms the body’s
ability to regulate temperature. In a closed environment, the body can go into
shock and circulation to vital organs will begin to fail.” Tucson Fire Department
Did you know? An average
of 25 children die each year as the result of being trapped in hot vehicles.
The majority of these cases were children under 3 years of age. This is a serious
public health issue, but one that is entirely preventable.
Heat is much more
dangerous to children than it is to adults. A child’s small size makes it hard
for the child to shed heat. When left in a hot vehicle, a young child’s core
body temperature may increase 3 to 5 times faster than that of an adult. This
can cause permanent injury or even death.
In one case, a child was
accidentally left in a car when the outside temperature was about 86 degrees.
When the child was found, two hours later, his core temperature was 107
degrees.
Source - Pima County
Child Abuse Prevention Council
Preventing Heat-Related Deaths and Injuries in the Car
Never leave your child in an unattended
car, even with the windows down.
Teach children not to play in or around
cars.
Always lock car doors and trunks even
when at home.
Teach older children how to disable the
driver’s door locks if they unintentionally become entrapped in a motor
vehicle.
Check to make sure all children leave
the vehicle when you reach your destination.
Don’t overlook sleeping infants.
Watch children closely around cars,
particularly when loading and unloading.
Check the temperature of the car seat
surface and safety belt buckles before restraining your children in the car.
Use a light covering to shade the seat
of your parked car. Consider using windshield shades in front and back windows.
If your child gets locked inside a
car, get him out and dial 911.
Preventing
Trunk Entrapment
Children
may think the trunk is a fun hiding place, but if they become trapped heat
stroke may result and lead to permanent injury or death. To prevent this type of tragedy:
Keep car keys out of children’s reach
and sight.
Keep the trunk of your car locked at
all times, especially when parked in the driveway or near the home.
Keep the rear fold-down seats closed to
help prevent kids from getting into the trunk from inside the car.
Contact your automobile dealership about
getting your vehicle retrofitted with an interior
trunk release mechanism.
If your child gets locked inside a car, get him out and
dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately.
Educate your children not to play in or
around your car or others.
Take extra care when backing your car
out of your driveway. Get out and look prior to backing up or use a spotter to
back you up.
Remember
that much of the above advice and safety tips apply to your pet or pets as
well. Do not leave an animal inside a hot car – Not Even For A Minute!