State Farm Participating in Child Safety Study

22 July 1997

    ROHNERT PARK, Calif., July 22 -- State Farm Insurance is
participating in a comprehensive, five year study that could lead to a
significant reduction of deaths and injuries to children in car crashes.
    Twelve State Farm North Coast associates, recently attended an orientation
and training conference in Philadelphia for Partners for Child Passenger
Safety.  This is an alliance between State Farm and The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia, one of the leading U.S. hospitals for treatment of traumatic
injuries to children.
    In attendance from State Farm were Divisional Claim Superintendents Don
Petersen, Greg Jung, Dutch Root, Bob Paxton, Diana Garcia Rael, Robert
Thompson, Marie Williams, Scott Day, Bob Kambe, Barbara Wright and Michael Lee
along with Public Affairs Manager Tamara Davis.  These State Farm employees
are located throughout the company's North Coast region operations.
    The study will focus on how various factors -- such as child safety seat
designs, air bag designs, use of proper restraints in the front or rear seat,
and the car's seat design -- figure in contributing to or preventing child
injuries in crashes.  It will also took at how the death and injury toll could
be reduced.
    State Farm will provide information on crashes involving children, whether
injured or not, from 15 states and the District of Columbia.  Researchers from
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will analyze these reports and select
some cases for follow-up phone interviews to gain more detailed information.
    Those who attended the conference will be responsible for training claim
representatives and supervisors who will be furnishing basic crash information
to the hospital.  They will also oversee the data gathering process in their
territory.  The project is slated to begin this fall.

SOURCE  State Farm Insurance