News Release from NHTSA via National Safety Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2001

NINE OUT OF TEN PARENTS MISTAKENLY BELIEVE STATE LAWS OFFER CHILD PASSENGERS ADEQUATE PROTECTION Survey Lends Urgency to Push for Better Laws

(Washington, D.C.) As many states consider legislation to strengthen child passenger safety laws, a new survey lends even greater urgency to their actions. A national study found that nine out of ten parents believe that if they adhere to their state*s current child passenger safety laws,1 they will be taking adequate steps to protect their children. No state law currently meets the standards universally recommended by safety experts.

The survey queried 1,000 parents and caregivers with children eight years of age and younger. It was conducted by DaimlerChrysler Corporation and its free child safety seat inspection service*Fit for a Kid*with technical assistance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The survey also found that 96 percent of caregivers did not know the correct age at which a child no longer requires a child safety seat or booster seat.

*At a time when many states are considering updating their laws, DaimlerChrysler's survey helps states better understand how outdated laws are impacting parents* behaviors,* said Bernard I. Robertson, DaimlerChrysler senior vice president of engineering technologies and regulatory affairs. *It is clear that the need is even more urgent because parents see their state laws as a guide to their families *buckle up* habits.*

Several states are currently working to pass legislation that would strengthen their child passenger safety laws.

Some states, such as Ohio and New York, allow children as young as three years old to ride completely unrestrained in the back seat or to ride in seat belts rather than in safety seats. Seat belts do not fit most children under the age of eight and can actually cause serious injury to small children in a crash. Two states * California and Washington * have recently passed new laws requiring children to be in booster seats but only up to age six or 60 pounds.

Safety organizations, such as NHTSA and the National Safety Council (NSC), recommend the use of child safety seats, including booster seats for children through age eight, about 80 pounds and up to 4'9" tall. Because no state laws meet these standards, more than 20 million children are at risk of death or injury in crashes as a result.2

DaimlerChrysler's Director of Safety Compliance Matt Reynolds pointed out that parents can get help deciding which safety seat is right for their child and how to properly install the seat at nearly 500 Fit for a Kid dealers across the nation. Dealers offer the service by appointment, to meet the schedules of caregivers.

"We hope parents will call us if they are confused about which seat is right for a child and how to correctly install the seat," Reynolds said. "Our certified inspectors are ready to help them."

*We can and must do more to protect our child passengers,* Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta said. *Strengthening child restraint laws is one of the most important things we can do to provide such protection. We applaud state legislative efforts to strengthen their laws and protect child passengers.*

According to NHTSA, 84 percent of children age four to eight killed in car crashes in the 1990s were either completely unrestrained or incorrectly restrained in an adult seat belt restraint.3 Less than 10 percent of children between the ages of four and eight use booster seats. Car crashes remain the number one killer of children. NHTSA research also shows that adults who buckle up are three times more likely to buckle up kids, so strong adult laws are needed to ensure children are protected. NHTSA established a Web-based inspection locator service at www.nhtsa.dot.gov to help families find child passenger safety resources and information.

In addition, the survey found that 93 percent of parents said they were comfortable that they were using their child seats correctly*in reality, fewer than 20 percent of seats are correctly installed.

DaimlerChrysler Corporation delivers the Fit for a Kid service with the support of the NSC. Arthur, the leading children's television character, is a promotional partner. Families can find a nearby Fit for a Kid dealer by calling toll free 1-877-FIT-4-A-KID or clicking on the Web site www.fitforakid.org.

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1. After the child passenger safety law in their state was read to them, respondents were asked if they believed adherence to the law adequately protects their children. Eighty-eight percent said yes. (Public Opinion Strategies for DaimlerChrysler, Corporation December 2000) 2. Calculated from U.S. Census Bureau, 1999 Population Estimates. 3. According to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), in the 1990s, 4,666 children between four and eight years old were killed in car crashes. Of these, 2,694 (58 percent) children were completely unrestrained and 1,223 (26 percent) children were incorrectly restrained in an adult seat belt.