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Seatbelt Safety for Children Improves with Simple Device

6 October 1998

Millennium Products: Seatbelt Safety for Children Improves with Simple Device

    KALAMAZOO, Mich., Oct. 5 -- While hundreds of government
officials meet to address a myriad of highway safety issues at the
National Association of Governor's Highway Safety Representatives in Dearborn,
Mich. this week, one small Michigan firm is determined to provide a solution
to the number one cause of injuries and death for children ages four through
nine -- lack of seatbelt use in automobile crashes.
    "As a nation, we have learned that without a doubt, seatbelts are critical
to the prevention of serious injury in a car crash," said Patrick Hanna,
president of Millennium Products, a Kalamazoo-based firm.  "But, in the case
of children, ages four through nine, seatbelt safety can be amplified."
Hanna's firm has conducted tests which show his product increases child
protection in crashes by the addition of a simple device to standard
seatbelts.
    "In addition to the discomfort young children feel from adult-designed
seatbelts rubbing against their necks and abdomens, there are risks posed by
improper seatbelt placement against a young child's body," he said.
Government studies show that once a child outgrows a car seat, there is a
marked decline in the use of seatbelts. In one state seatbelt use dropped by
55 percent for children over four, when compared with infants.
    Hanna advises parents to become informed consumers when assessing the
merits of various devices on the market which promise to add value to seatbelt
use for children. "Because there is no regulation of these products, it is
possible that some of them can hurt more than they can help," he said. His
company has proposed to the National Highway Transportation and Safety
Association (NHTSA) that a standard be instituted for belt-adjusting devices
and booster seats that simply states "performs as well or better than standard
lap and shoulder belts."
    Just last month, Millennium Products was the recipient of the "Innovative
Product of the Year" award by the Small Business Association of Michigan.
Since they began producing the Child Protector in 1997, thousands have been
sold in the United States, Canada and Japan.
    The Child Protector(TM) (retails at $19.95) is a lightweight, comfortable
plastic-formed shield that re-directs the shoulder belt away from the neck and
correctly positions it across the shoulder.  In crash tests at 30 mph, the
belt stayed away from the neck, reducing the chance for serious spinal
injuries.  It also prevented the lap belt from cutting into the abdomen,
reducing the potential for damage to internal organs.
    For more information, including product and application photos and a
slow-motion video of crash test results, consult Millennium Products at
(616)353-2001, or visit their website at http://www.2001SAFE.com.