News Release, National Safety Council, Feb. 13, 2002

For Immediate Release 					
February 13, 2002	
Contact: Joe Larkin
(630) 775-2303


NSC Joins DaimlerChrysler in Helping Parents Find Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations
 
Itasca, IL -- The National Safety Council (NSC) has joined DaimlerChrysler, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the National Transportation Safety Board, Graco Children's Products Inc, and Lamaze(TM) International in announcing the launch of the first nationwide toll-free number (1-866-SEAT-CHECK) to help parents find child safety seat inspection stations. Car crashes are the number one killer of kids.  Eighty percent of kids riding in child safety seats are at risk because they are not buckled in correctly. The announcement coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week (February 10 - 16).
 
Chuck Hurley, Vice President of the National Safety Council*s Transportation Safety Group, said, *ninety seven percent of parents believe they properly use and install their child safety seat, but in reality fewer than twenty percent do.*

A new survey sponsored by DaimlerChrysler Corporation found that four out of 10 parents and caregivers do not know how to find a child safety seat inspection location, even with more than 1,500 car seat inspection locations now available nationwide. The survey found that a toll-free number is parents' preferred method to find child passenger safety inspection locations and information. In response, DaimlerChrysler has launched the first nationwide toll-free hotline dedicated exclusively to directing parents to local car seat inspection resources. With telephone access available in 94 percent of households, the hotline will give nearly every family access to this lifesaving resource. The hotline announcement is part of a new campaign to aggressively promote the need for safety seat inspections.

According to NHTSA, child safety seats reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers (1-4 years old).  Less than 10 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 8 use booster seats. *Car crashes remain the number one killer of children,* NSC*s Hurley said. *However, many of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper use of child safety seats.*

To find a car seat inspection location near you, call the nationwide toll-free hotline 1-866-SEAT-CHECK.  This toll-free number expands the on-line child safety seat locator maintained by NHTSA. For those individuals who prefer to use the Internet, DaimlerChrysler has created a new website, http://www.seatcheck.org, to complement the hotline.

DaimlerChrysler was the first automaker to offer permanent safety seat inspections at many of its dealerships through the popular *Fit for a Kid* program (http://www.fitforakid.org). 

The National Safety Council (NSC) is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental, international public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. The NSC estimates that 4.2 million lives have been saved through improved safety practices since the Council was established.  For additional information, visit the Council*s web site at <http://www.nsc.org>. 

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