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Teenage Driving and Child Safety Seats



National Safety Council and Liberty Mutual Focus on Teenage Driving and Child Safety Seats
 
Itasca, IL -- During June and throughout the summer months many inexperienced teenager drivers take to the roads. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics for 2000 show that June, July and August are the most dangerous months for teen drivers. The combination of youth and inexperience often has disastrous consequences when teenagers are involved in crashes. During National Safety Month this June, the National Safety Council (NSC) and Liberty Mutual Group are focusing the nation¢s attention on Teenage Driving and Child Safety Seats. 

Crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers - in some years the fatal involvement rate for teen drivers is three times higher than the overall rate. Statistically, teens make up less than 7 percent of the nation's licensed drivers, but they're involved in 14 percent of all fatal crashes.

*Parents have mixed feelings about handing over the car keys to newly -licensed teens, no matter how well they are prepared,* NSC President Alan C. McMillan explained.  *Unfortunately, parents have good cause to worry. The dismaying fact is that teen drivers are involved in more motor vehicle crashes than any other group.*

Teens Not Buckling Up
An alarming number of teenagers die in crashes because they are not buckled up. New results from the annual teen driving survey conducted by Students Against Destructive Decisions/ Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD, Inc.) and Liberty Mutual Group reveal that one in five young drivers (22 percent) ¡never¢ wear a seat belt, and
more than two in five (41 percent) only wear a seat belt ¡occasionally.¢ Visit <http://www.libertymutualinsurance.com/> for additional survey information and tips from Liberty Mutual and SADD on how parents can communicate safe driving habits with their teenagers.

*Motor vehicle accidents remain the number-one killer of young people in America, and it is alarming to continually see such high incidents of neglect when it comes to wearing a seat belt.* said John B. Conners, executive vice president and manager, Personal Insurance, for Liberty Mutual.

Child Safety Seats Misused
The misuse of child safety seats is also a critical problem.  *Children need special protection when traveling in motor vehicles,* McMillan said. *Safety experts say that between 80 and 90 percent of child safety seats are installed and/or used incorrectly.*   

Many childhood injuries and deaths can be avoided with the correct use of child safety seats and safety belts. However, many adults are unaware they are using the safety restraint incorrectly, thereby placing their child at risk.

All children under the age or 12 should be properly restrained in the back seat according to the child¢s age and size:
Rear-Facing car seats are for all infants up to one year old and 20 pounds;
Forward-Facing car seats are for children more than one year old and between 20 and 40 pounds;
Booster Seats are for children more than 40 pounds who are too small for adult seat belts; and,
Safety Belts are for children over 8 years old, or who are at least 4¢9* tall.

The National Safety Council is a not-for-profit, nongovenmental, international membership organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. For a comprehensive view of National Safety Month activities and safety tips, visit the NSC website at http:www.nsc.org/nsm.htm. 

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2002, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is one of the largest multi-line insurers in the North American property and casualty industry.  Offering a wide range of products and services, including private passenger auto and homeowners insurance, Liberty Mutual Group employs 35,000 people in more than 800 offices throughout the world.