New Survey of Parents: New York Children at Risk

     Ford Donates 24,500 Booster Seats to Low-Income New Yorkers Through
   United Way, Gives Free Booster Seats to NY Ford Motor Company Customers
     Through Toys 'R' Us, and Sends Educational Program to Local Schools

    VALLEY STREAM, N.Y., May 31 A new survey indicates 82
percent of New York children ages four through eight run an increased risk of
injury or death in car crashes because they are not in booster seats.  With
that in mind, New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos and
national, state and local safety officials joined Ford Motor Company today to
start a new safety habit for youngsters by presenting the first of 24,500
booster seats to New York families in financial need.  The donations, which
will be distributed through United Way agencies in cities including Long
Island, Albany, Buffalo, White Plains and Syracuse are part of the Ford Motor
Company's Boost America! child passenger safety campaign.
    Led by Ford, in partnership with The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) and 21 other national safety and philanthropic
organizations, the $30 million campaign is giving away one million booster
seats nationally, sending educational materials featuring Will Smith and Jada
Pinkett Smith and Blue from Nickelodeon's Blues Clues, to every preschool and
elementary school in the U.S., and pushing for new state-level booster seat
laws.
    According to Robert Smythe, Ford Division Regional Manager, "This study
shows that up to three out-of-four parents may not have the correct
information to protect their four to eight year olds in motor vehicles.
That's an alarming number.  Our goal is to educate parents and caregivers
about the importance of booster seats, and to convince children that it's the
'cool' way to ride."
    The survey by Wirthlin Worldwide found that 91 percent of New York
parents/caregivers of four-to-eight year olds are aware of booster seats yet
only 18 percent use them for their children.  Nearly 66 percent are unaware of
the correct ages for booster seat use.
    According to NHTSA, while crash-related fatalities have declined steadily
for children under four because most ride in child safety seats, there has
been no similar reduction in fatalities among children ages four to eight --
partly because booster seat use nationally is only 21 percent.  More than 500
children in this age group are killed each year in crashes, including 10 in
1999 (the last year for which data is available) in New York.  Booster seats
provide a necessary transition for children who have outgrown child safety
seats, but are not big enough to use adult safety belts alone.  A booster seat
raises a child up so that adult lap/shoulder belts fit and protect better --
snugly across the chest and low over the lap.
    "I would like to thank Ford for its efforts to promote child passenger
safety," said Senator Skelos (R-C, Rockville Centre).  "Seat belts alone do
not adequately protect most young children in the event of a crash.  That is
why I drafted legislation to require booster seat-age children to use these
live-saving devices.  Partnering with Ford, the United Way and the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am hopeful we will raise awareness of
the importance of booster seats to make New York's kids the safest in
America."
    Senate Bill 419-A calls for children up to age seven, 80 pounds and 4 foot
9 inches tall to be secured in child restraint systems.  Current New York
state law only requires children to be in child restraints up to age four.
    "The Ford Motor Company's Boost America! Campaign is a welcome asset to
New York State's traffic safety programs and Governor Pataki's efforts to
encourage the full-time use of child safety seats and booster seats," said
Commissioner Raymond P. Martinez of the New York State Department of Motor
Vehicles.  "The Governor's traffic safety initiatives in the past five years
have made New York's highways the safest since the early 1920s when statistics
were first compiled."
    Through the United Way, Boost America! will provide 500,000 seats to low-
income families nationally.  Twenty four thousand five hundred (24,500) seats
will be distributed by United Way agencies in cities including Long Island,
Albany, Buffalo, White Plains and Syracuse.
    Dr. Sherry Radowitz, Senior Vice-President of Community Initiatives for
Long Island's United Way said, "As a leader in community problem-solving,
United Way is always looking for resources to help families.  Child safety is
a major focus of our Success By 6 Initiative.  Through partnerships with
generous corporations like Ford Motor Company, United Way is better able to
reach people with the services they need."
    In addition, Ford Motor Company is providing booster seats to its
customers statewide through participating Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo,
Jaguar, Land Rover and Mazda dealers.  Customers are being given vouchers for
a free or discounted booster seat at Toys "R" Us stores.
    Cheryl Warobick, Director of Sales and Service, Northeast Region, Toys "R"
Us said, "We are pleased to participate in this important campaign to promote
booster seat safety.  Our mission at Toys "R" Us is to improve the lives of
children, and this initiative will go a long way in doing just that."
    In February, Ford Motor Company granted $15,000 in training to the New
York Department of Health to teach day care providers about booster seats and
promote the use of the Boost America! school curriculum that was distributed
in April.
    More information is available at http://www.boostamerica.org or
866-BOOSTKID.

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