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Making Strides to Keep Kids Safe in Car Crashes


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SEE ALSO: 2010 IIHS Child Booster Seat Rankings

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., Sept. 15, 2010; The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) this week announced its latest round of booster seat evaluations. State Farm, a long time supporter of IIHS, applauds these new findings and, like IIHS, encourages greater consistency in the way booster seats function across most vehicle makes and models.

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of accidental death of children over age one, yet most of these tragedies could be prevented through proper safety restraint use. Belt-positioning booster seats are used to properly position shoulder and lap belts to provide restraint in a car crash. A good booster seat directs the lap belt across the child's upper thighs, and the shoulder belt at midshoulder. IIHS provides examples of good belt fit and their booster seat evaluation results at www..iihs.org/news/rss/pr090810.html.

Research shows that up to 70 percent of child restraint systems are installed or used incorrectly. That's why, since 2001, State Farm has hosted more than 2000 car seat check-ups and inspected more than 73,000 car seats. "This is one way State Farm demonstrates its commitment to helping make our roadways safe for everyone," said Laurette Stiles, Vice President of Strategic Resources at State Farm. "We want to help parents with the important yet often complex task of protecting their children in the car."

More information about child passenger safety can be found at the Learning Center at www.statefarm.com. Find a car seat inspection site at www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm.

About State FarmŽ:

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 68,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.comŽ or in Canada statefarm.caŽ.