NADA, Bradshaw Automotive Promote Child Passenger Safety in Greenville, SC
Program includes free seat inspections, press conference
GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 13 -- With thousands of children killed or injured in car crashes each year, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and Bradshaw Automotive Group are working to change that by raising awareness of proper child safety seat use.
On September 13, NADA and Bradshaw Automotive will team with Safe Kids Upstate and Greenville Hospital System Children's Hospital to conduct a free child safety seat inspection for the public and a press conference for the media. Both events will take place at the West End Field in downtown Greenville, with the press conference at 10:30 a.m. and the car seat safety checks from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The initiative is part of NADA's Child Passenger Safety Month in September, as thousands of auto dealers nationwide join Bradshaw Automotive in hosting child seat inspection events at the dealerships to help save lives.
"National statistics show that 85 percent of all children in child safety seats are not being restrained properly, and the misusage rate in S.C. is even more alarming at more than 93 percent of children improperly restrained," said Bradshaw. "Many parents are unaware that their children are at risk, and as NADA members and new car dealers, we want to do what we can to help save lives and prevent needless injuries from motor vehicles."
Certified technicians will be on site at the event to check each car seat to ensure it is not damaged or on a recall list, that it is installed correctly and that the child fits in the seat properly (children must be present for a proper seat check). If the seat cannot be used correctly or is damaged or recalled, Safe Kids Upstate will replace the seat with a new seat, while supplies last. Safe Kids will use a bulldozer to crush any unsafe or unusable seats at 1:30 p.m. to ensure they cannot be used again.
According to national data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highway crashes are the leading cause of death or injury for children annually, and more than 40 percent of those under the age of eight who are hurt or killed are completely unrestrained. A large majority of those unrestrained or improperly restrained are older children ages four to seven who are either in the wrong type of booster seat or are just using the adult seat belts, which is why the NADA has made booster seat safety awareness in particular its primary goal this year.
"Safe Kids Worldwide has a long-standing relationship with NADA, and together we are committed to providing our communities with the resources all families need to protect their children on our roads," said Linda Brees, Safe Kids Upstate. "In South Carolina, one child dies every day from an accidental injury that could have been prevented. This demonstrates that there is still work to do."
About NADA
The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, Va., represents approximately 20,000 new car and truck dealers holding nearly 43,000 separate franchises, domestic and international.
About Safe Kids Upstate
Safe Kids Upstate is one of more than 450 coalitions in 15 countries affiliated with Safe Kids Worldwide(R), an organization whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. There are 13 Safe Kids coalitions and two Chapters in South Carolina. Safe Kids Upstate Coalition, led by Greenville Hospital System Children's Hospital Children's Advocacy, consists of more than 70 community partners who join together to fight unintentional injuries.