AAA Chicago Hosts 2nd Annual Strollerthon July 9

Proceeds Benefit Child Passenger Safety

AURORA, Ill., July 6 -- AAA Chicago invites the public to its second-annual Strollerthon to be held this Saturday, July 9, at Jackson Park in Chicago. Whether or not you have stroller-aged children, adults and children alike will enjoy this scenic "stroll" through Jackson Park's Japanese Gardens to raise money to benefit child passenger safety.

"According to Illinois vital health statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14," says Brad Roeber, AAA Regional President. "Although usage of car seats for infants is up, there is work yet to be done in the way of education and awareness for proper usage of child passenger restraints -- especially continued use of booster seats for older children."

Illinois law mandates that children ages newborn-to-8 be in a child restraint system. While many states have similar laws, national data shows that a staggering four out of five car seats are installed incorrectly. Additionally, young passengers between ages 4 and 8 need booster seats to prevent serious injury or death in the event of a crash, yet only 15 percent of this age group actually uses them.

Across the nation, hundreds of children die and thousands are seriously injured every year from either not using or improper use of a child safety seat. AAA launched Strollerthon in 2004 to raise funds and awareness for child passenger safety. We partner with the Chicagoland SAFE KIDS Coalition, which utilizes the funds raised to promote this worthy cause and to purchase and distribute car seats and booster seats to families in need.

AAA Chicago encourages parents and caregivers to have their child safety seats inspected and to remember that children up to age 12 should ride in the rear seat of motor vehicles. These four guidelines can help protect children while traveling in motor vehicles:

  1. Rear-facing infant seats -- Newborn to 1-year-old and up to 20 lbs.
  2. Forward-facing child safety seats -- Ages 1-4 years old, between
     20-40 lbs. Keep children rear facing to the upper weight limit of the
     seat if using a convertible (both front and rear facing) child safety
     seat.
  3. Booster seats -- Up to age 8 or about 4'9" tall. The use of both a lap
     and shoulder belt is essential.
  4. Adult safety belts -- Ages 8 and older, at least 4'9" tall. Again, a
     lap and shoulder belt combination is essential.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. at Jackson Park, just south of the Museum of Science & Industry. During the event, participants will receive vital safety information and view hands-on child seat demonstrations. Other activities include face painting, raffles, kids' activities and more. For more information on how you can register for or support Strollerthon contact AAA Chicago at 800-692-4222, visit http://www.aaa.com/safety or stop by any AAA branch.

The AAA Strollerthon is a charitable event of the Auto Club Group, which comprises six regional AAA clubs including AAA Chicago, AAA Michigan, AAA Minnesota-Iowa, AAA Nebraska, AAA North Dakota and AAA Wisconsin. Last year's events raised $54,000 to buy more than 1000 child passenger safety seats for free distribution to low-income families throughout the Midwest.

For more than 100 years, AAA has represented the interests of the nation's motorists and served as an advocate for various traffic safety and travel related issues. AAA Chicago has served that role in Illinois since its founding in 1906. AAA Chicago offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG clubs belong to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization, with more than 48 million members in the United States and Canada.