SAFE KIDS Report Reveals Dramatic Improvements In Child Occupant Protection Laws Since 2001
Despite Progress, More Than Half of States Still Do Not Protect Booster-Aged Children
/ADVANCE/ WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- In a report released today in observance of Child Passenger Safety Week (Feb. 8-14), the National SAFE KIDS Campaign announced that 27 states have upgraded their child occupant protection laws since 2001, with 23 states (up from only two) now covering booster seat-aged children.
Closing the Gaps Across the Map: A Progress Report on SAFE KIDS' Efforts to Improve Child Occupant Protection Laws reviews improvements to child occupant protection laws since a study just three years ago found startling gaps in coverage related to age, seating position and lack of appropriate child safety seat use. While there have been dramatic strides in changing our laws, more than half of states still do not adequately protect booster-aged children.
"This tremendous legislative success can only be rivaled by amount of activity that took place in the early 1980s when states first began to enact child passenger safety laws. We applaud the dedication of countless advocates, state legislators and governors who worked tirelessly in 27 states to upgrade their laws," said Heather Paul, Ph.D., executive director, National SAFE KIDS Campaign. "We know strong child passenger safety laws are a proven deterrent to the number one killer of kids, motor vehicle crashes. However, we're disconcerted to know that the majority of states still don't mandate that kids ride in booster seats."
In 2001, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign launched a five-year initiative to improve state child occupant protection laws. For the past three years, SAFE KIDS coalitions and chapters have worked with government agencies, safety organizations, law enforcement agencies and state legislatures nationwide to close the gaps and strengthen child occupant protection laws.
The progress report reflects successes at the mid-point of SAFE KIDS' initiative, with the goal of having every state significantly upgrade its child restraint law by 2006.
Findings include:
* More than half of states (26 and the District of Columbia) have
upgraded their child occupant protection laws.
* Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia now have booster seat
laws that require older children to use appropriate child safety
seats, as opposed to two states (California and Washington) in
February 2001.
* Thirty-one states, on average, introduced legislation each year from
2001 through 2003 to improve their child passenger safety laws.
* One state only (Wisconsin) did not introduce a bill from 2001 to
2003 to better protect children traveling in motor vehicles.
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration applauds the National SAFE KIDS Campaign for working to improve our nation's child passenger safety laws," said Dr. Jeffrey W. Runge, administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "By drawing attention to the gap between best safety practices and states' laws, SAFE KIDS coalitions have taken a major step forward in making the highways safer for children, our most precious asset." In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week, SAFE KIDS coalitions will host over 200 child safety seat checkup events, reaching an estimated 10,000 children across the country. Also, nearly 30 coalitions have been awarded legislative and enforcement grants totaling $50,000 to partner with government agencies, state legislatures and enforcement agencies to strengthen or promote their child occupant protection laws.
"The National Transportation Safety Board is squarely behind making children safer in all types of transportation and strongly supports the efforts of the SAFE KIDS coalitions," said Ellen Engleman Conners, chairman, National Transportation Safety Board. "We are working diligently with groups like SAFE KIDS to get our Most Wanted List of child safety initiatives implemented. Together we have chalked up some successes, but there is much more work to do."
"Great strides have been made in the last two decades in increasing restraint use by adults and children, but more must be done, particularly in upgrading our state laws," said Robert C. Lange, executive director, safety structure and integration, General Motors Corporation. "We commend our partner, SAFE KIDS, and many others who are working hard both to upgrade state child passenger safety laws and to increase awareness about the importance of booster seats for our children."
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury- related death among children ages 14 and under. Nearly 1,600 children ages 14 and under die in motor vehicle crashes each year and close to 228,000 children are injured.
Closing the Gaps Across the Map: A Progress Report on SAFE KIDS' Efforts to Improve Child Occupant Protection Laws can be found at www.safekids.org. For more information about the SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program, visit the Web site or call the toll-free hotline at (800) 441-1888 to find a child safety seat checkup event near you.
NOTE TO TV REPORTERS: SAFE KIDS and General Motors are releasing video footage featuring a series of crash tests illustrating what can happen in a car crash when a child is placed in an adult safety belt. The footage is being released on February 5 and will air on TV stations around the country. To view the footage, please visit www.safekids.org or www.gmability.com.
The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury -- the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico comprise the Campaign. General Motors Corporation is the SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP program sponsor.
SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP(R) is a national program developed by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and sponsored by the General Motors Corporation to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of properly restraining children on every ride.
