NO MORE EXCUSES - St. Joseph's Hospital to Give Car Seats to Families in Need

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 27 -- DaimlerChrysler Corporation reinforced its commitment to safety today by awarding 500 child safety seats to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. The gift was part of an ongoing minority safety initiative of the Corporation's Fit for a Kid program, a free car seat inspection service dedicated to keeping kids safe in child safety seats.

The initiative also includes the distribution of education materials to low-income and minority families about the importance of child safety seats and their proper use. Today's announcement featured a child safety seat check-up event where parents and caregivers had their children's safety seats inspected for proper fit and use.

Research shows that 96 percent of parents and caregivers believe that they always correctly install and use child safety seats. However, field studies show that only 20 percent of these seats are properly installed and used. Data also shows that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of all races, and the leading cause of death for Hispanics through age 24. In addition, African-American children are three times more likely to die in a crash than Caucasian children.

``These statistics are unacceptable and the sad truth is that many of these deaths could have been prevented,'' said DaimlerChrysler's Director of Safety Compliance Matt Reynolds. ``The problem for many families goes beyond misuse. Many cannot afford child safety seats or are using second-hand seats that could be damaged or recalled. Language barriers and cultural factors also contribute to car seat misuse and non-use.''

Fit for a Kid offers free child safety seat inspections and educates families around the country about the importance of car seats and how to use them correctly. The inspection service is available by appointment at participating Five Star Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge dealers across the country, including six dealers in the Phoenix area. The service is open to everyone, no matter what make or model vehicle they drive. Families can make an appointment for an inspection at participating Five Star DaimlerChrysler dealers by calling 1-877-Fit-4-A-Kid or accessing the Web site at www.fitforakid.org . They then call the dealer directly to schedule an appointment for the 20-minute child safety seat check.

Started in 2000, this minority safety initiative of Fit for a Kid is a partnership with flagship hospitals in many major U.S. cities to provide child safety seats through hospitals to families who cannot afford them. Last year alone, Fit for a Kid distributed more than 15,000 free child safety seats through urban hospitals in Miami, Detroit, San Diego, McAllen, and San Antonio. In addition to distributing safety seats, partnering hospital staff will help educate families by distributing Fit for Kid safety tip brochures and children's activity books in both English and Spanish. Participating DaimlerChrysler dealers will join the hospitals' efforts by offering child safety seat inspections to everyone. DaimlerChrysler also is helping to defray the cost of storing the child safety seats through a monetary grant.

``St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has approximately 2,500 major trauma-related admissions per year and many of those are due to motor vehicle crashes. Our staff sees first hand the traumatic injuries caused when children are not correctly restrained in vehicles,'' said Scott Petersen, MD, Director of Trauma, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. ``We are thrilled to partner with DaimlerChrysler to educate the families we serve on the urgent need to have child safety seats inspected for correct use and installation.''

Through Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers, DaimlerChrysler Corporation delivers the Fit for a Kid service with the support of the National Safety Council. Arthur, the leading children's television character, and Graco Children's Products, makers of Century and Graco child safety seats, are promotional partners in the service