Protect Your Tiniest Valentine: Feb. 12 Kicks off National Child Passenger Safety Week -- 21st Century Insurance Offers Texans 21 Tips to Help Keep Young Riders Safe

AUSTIN, Texas--Feb. 8, 2006--National Child Passenger Safety Week, Feb. 12, 2006-18, is the perfect reminder to say "I love you" to your tiniest valentines by making sure they are properly buckled up each time they ride in a motor vehicle. This year, 21st Century Insurance celebrates the Week by providing 21 top child safety seat tips to help keep young passengers safe.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children ages two to 14. But children ages four to eight who use booster seats and safety belts correctly are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a motor vehicle crash than children who are restrained only by a safety belt. In addition, more than 80 percent of child restraints are used incorrectly, according to NHTSA.

To help reduce preventable injuries and deaths, 21st Century Insurance premiered its child safety seat initiative five years ago. Since then, more than 7,000 child safety seats have been inspected throughout six states; 21st has donated more than 5,500 new child safety seats; and more than 2,500 broken, recalled or non-age-appropriate child safety seats have been collected and discarded.

"21st Century Insurance is committed to educating parents on the importance of properly installing and using child safety seat restraints, and we encourage parents and their children to abide by the passenger restraint laws," said Joyce Prager, Assistant Vice President of Community Relations, 21st Century Insurance. "We're proud of our commitment to child passenger safety because it saves lives."

To mark National Child Passenger Safety Week (February 12-18), 21st Century Insurance offers these 21 tips to help keep young passengers safe:

               Top Ten Do's for Child Passenger Safety:

1.  Always use a child safety seat. Start with your new baby's ride
    home from the hospital.
2.  Pick the right seat. Make sure you are using the correct type
    of seat for your child's age and weight.
3.  Read the directions. All car seats must be installed and used
    properly. Read the owners manual to the seat and your car.
4.  Register your seat. Complete the registration card for your new
    seat so you will be alerted by the manufacturer to problems and
    recalls.
5.  Remember that babies need more support. Use a rear-facing seat for
    babies up to 22 lbs. that offers additional head and neck support.
6.  Use a booster seat. Children ages four to eight years old should 
    be restrained in a booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle.
7.  Use harnesses correctly. Make sure harnesses are in slots at or
    below the shoulders for rear-facing seats or at or above the
    shoulders for forward facing. Harnesses should lie in a snug,
    straight line across the child.
8.  Know the law: 

       Texas law requires that all children younger than five
       years old AND less than 36 inches tall must be secured in
       a child restraint system.

9.  Ask the experts. Learn how to correctly install and use your seat
    by attending a local passenger safety clinic.
10. Check out these resources. For more information, call:
    1-866-SEAT-CHECK or go to: www.nhtsa.dot.gov.


              Top Ten Don'ts for Child Passenger Safety:

1.  Don't use a second-hand safety seat or one that has been in a
    collision.
2.  Don't use a seat that has been recalled.
3.  Don't use a household baby carrier as a safety or booster seat.
4.  Don't use a safety or booster seat that is more than six years 
    old.
5.  Don't bundle up the child before placing him in the seat. Secure
    the harness first, then place coats and blankets over the seat.
6.  Don't place a rear-facing seat on the front seat of a vehicle with
    an active air bag.
7.  Don't place books or blankets under the child as boosters. Use the
    correct seat for the child's height and weight.
8.  Don't use more than one seat belt at a time to install a seat.
9.  Don't use a lap-only seat belt to secure a booster seat.
10. NEVER let a child ride on a passenger's lap. All children should
    be safely secured in the correct type of safety or booster seat at
    all times.

    And number 21 - indeed, the most important tip to remember: All
    children 12 years old and under should ride in the back seat!

To help inform the public, Gov. Rick Perry, the Texas Department of Public Safety and 21st have created "Child Safety Seats: A Parent's Guide" to explain proper seat installation and use. The guide, available for free in English or Spanish, can be obtained at safety fairs and directly from 21st by calling 1-800-211-SAVE or by visiting http://www.21st.com/safety.

About 21st: Good people to call

Founded in 1958, 21st Century Insurance Group is a direct-to-consumer provider of personal auto insurance covering over 1.5 million vehicles and with $1.3 billion of premiums in California, Texas, Illinois and six other states. 21st provides superior policy features and 24/7 customer service at a competitive price. Customers can purchase insurance, service their policy or report a claim at http://www.21st.com or on the phone with our licensed insurance professionals at 1-800-211-SAVE. Service is offered in English and Spanish both on the phone and on the Web, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 21st Century Insurance Company and 21st Century Casualty Company are rated A+ by Standard & Poor's. 21st Century Insurance Company, 21st Century Casualty Company and 21st Century Insurance Company of the Southwest are rated A+ Fitch Ratings.

21st Century Insurance Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol TW and is headquartered at 21st Century Plaza, 6301 Owensmouth Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367.