Buckle
up and do it correctly
INFANT
DEATH: In 1995, parents of a newborn baby girl were shown
a 1989 car seat instructional video before discharge from a
maternity hospital. The video recommended transporting the infant
in a restraint in the front seat so the driver could monitor
the infant. This was routine advice only a few years ago. No
mention was made of the hazard of a passenger frontal air bag
to an infant, because that had not been an issue when the video
was made.
Within
a month of birth, the infant died from injuries due to the impact
of the air bag during a crash. The mother survived with minor
injuries. The hospital was sued for using a video that failed
to warn about this new hazard. The parents did not notice the
warning flyer they received in their hospital packet.
CHILD
SAFE: Early last year, during a routine child safety seat
check by law enforcement officers, two expectant parents were
shown how to correctly install a child safety seat for their
expected child. The officers explained the importance of installing
it in the rear seat of the vehicle. Six months later, the "new"
parents and their baby were involved in a traffic crash. The
child was found safe in a correctly installed child safety seat.
The parents had followed the directions of the police officers
and had read and remembered the important public service messages
of putting children in the rear seat.
The
difference between these two stories is literally life and death.
Accurate information was the critical difference. Reading the
information that comes with your vehicle and child safety restraint
is extremely important.
Motor
vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for every age
from 6 through 28 years old. Practicing safe behaviors such
as wearing safety belts, placing children correctly in appropriate
child restraints and reading manufacturers' instructions, can
all significantly reduce the number of injuries and fatalities
suffered.
The
National Safety Belt Coalition asks that you:
NEVER
allow children to ride in the cargo area of pickup trucks.
ALWAYS
set a good example: Make sure all front and rear seat passengers
are properly buckled up or secured in child safety seats.
ALWAYS
read child safety seat instructions, in addition to the owner's
manual, to ensure that child safety seats and safety belts are
secured properly and that children are restrained correctly.
Provided
as a public service by the National Safety Belt Coalition
