Safe Kids PA and Partners Host Free Child Safety Event September 17, 2009
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Safe Kids Pennsylvania, PennDOT, Lawrence Chevrolet and Silver Spring Township Police are teaming up for child safety. The organizations are urging parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles and receive a Child ID kit at a free Child Safety Event on Thursday, September 17.
Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to provide hands-on instruction on installing car seats and booster seats at Lawrence Chevrolet on the Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Silver Spring Township Police will be on site offering free identification kits that collect information that can be beneficial when police try to identify missing or runaway children.
"It's the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to make sure their children are safely restrained -- every trip, every time and at every age," said Anne Franchak, Director of Safe Kids PA. "We are inviting everyone to have their child checked to be sure they are using the right restraint -- a car seat, booster seat or seat belt. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."
According to a 2008 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the use of child restraints declines as children get older. From birth to 12 months, 99 percent of children ride in a restraint. It drops to 92 percent for kids ages 1 to 3. For kids ages 4 to 7, 89 percent are restrained. But only 85 percent of kids ages 8 to 12 ride in a restraint.
"Parents need to set the rules and stay vigilant," Franchak added. "Booster seats and seat belts are just as important for older kids as car seats are for younger kids."
Child ID Kits help parents keep recent photographs and other information about their child on hand. Though many are recovered quickly, almost 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States every year. Silver Spring Township Police are providing free Child ID Kits that help parents record physical characteristics of their child, fingerprints, photographs and other identifying information. This information can be critical in the event a child goes missing, and having that information readily available saves precious time.
The event is offered as part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from September 12 through 18.
WHO: Anne Franchak, executive director, Safe Kids PA; Rhonda Scullen, Lawrence Chevrolet; Fritzi Schreffler, safety press officer, PennDOT District 8; and Chief James Sadler, Silver Spring Township Police Department.
WHAT: Brief news conference on the importance of child safety, followed by FREE car seat check-ups and Child ID Kits.
WHEN: THURSDAY, September 17 -- news conference at 4 p.m., car seat check-up and child ID kit event from 4-7 p.m.
WHERE: Lawrence Chevrolet, 6445 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. About Safe Kids Pennsylvania
Safe Kids Pennsylvania works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. Safe Kids Pennsylvania is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury.