Ford National Booster Seat Giveaway Reaches 250,000 Milestone in Ohio

        Ford Presents Ford Focus to 250,000th Booster Seat Recipient,
 Donates 25,000 Booster Seats to Low-Income Ohio Families Through United Way,
    Gives Free Booster Seats to Ohio Ford Motor Company Customers Through
         Toys "R" Us, and Sends Educational Program to Local Schools

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 24 Ford Motor Company today announced
that Boost America!, its $30 million child passenger safety program, has
distributed its 250,000th free booster seat nationwide. This achievement marks
a significant milestone for Boost America! as it moves towards its goal of
putting one million booster seats into use by next summer to raise awareness
of the importance of using belt-positioning booster seats for children between
the ages of four and eight. The 250,000th seat was presented to an Ohio
family, who was surprised to also receive a 2000 Ford Focus SE.
    The 250,000th booster seat was one of 25,000 seats Ford is donating to
low-income families in Ohio. A new survey indicates 84 percent of Ohio
children ages four through eight run an increased risk of injury or death in
car crashes because they are not in booster seats.
    According to Martin Zimmerman, Vice President, Government Affairs, Ford
Motor Company, "This study shows that most parents -- even those with the best
of intentions -- aren't putting their booster-aged children into the proper
seats when they are riding in the family vehicle.  Boost America! is the most
extensive child safety campaign ever by an automaker.  Working with our many
partners, our goal is to raise awareness about the importance of booster seats
and ultimately save lives."
    With that in mind, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Maureen O'Connor, and state
and local safety officials joined Ford Motor Company today to start a new
safety habit for youngsters by presenting the 250,000th seat of its national
program and the first of 25,000 seats to Ohio families in financial need. The
booster seat donations, which will be distributed through the United Way of
Community Chest (Cincinnati), United Way Services (Cleveland), United Way of
Franklin County (Columbus) and United Way of the Greater Dayton Area 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 25 other national safety and philanthropic
organizations, the $30 million campaign is giving away one million booster
seats nationally, and has sent educational materials featuring Will Smith and
Jada Pinkett Smith and Blue from Nickelodeon's Blues Clues, to every preschool
and elementary school in the United States.
    The survey by Wirthlin Worldwide found that 84 percent of Ohio
parents/caregivers of four-to eight-year-olds are aware of booster seats, yet
only 17 percent use them for their children.
Nearly 76 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.
    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 across the hips.
    "Ohio's booster usage rate is 4 percent lower than that of the national
average of 21 percent.  I'm optimistic today's event and efforts by both Boost
America! and the Ford Motor Company will help raise those numbers," said Lt.
Governor Maureen O'Connor.  Earlier this spring, Lt. Governor O'Connor worked
with State Representative Kevin DeWine to craft booster seat legislation for
Ohio children.  House Bill 334 is currently in committee.
    As part of the million seats overall, Boost America! will provide 500,000
seats to low-income families nationally through the United Way. Twenty-five
thousand (25,000) seats will be distributed by United Way agencies in the
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton areas. Today's fitting
station/giveaway event at the St. Stephen's Community House in Columbus is the
first of several events in the state.
    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.  More than 170,000
vouchers have been redeemed nationwide.

    * The Wirthlin survey was conducted from December 2000 through January
2001 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The total sample of the
survey included 11,701 interviews, 300 of which took place in Ohio, yielding
results that can be generalized to the entire universe of American parents of
young children within +/-1.0 percentage point in 95 out of 100 cases.

    More information is available at http://www.boostamerica.org or
866-BOOST-KID.

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