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Three Washington, D.C. Area Hospital Emergency Departments Receive Child Safety Seats From GEICO and Emergency Nurses Care

1 June 2000

Three Washington, D.C. Area Hospital Emergency Departments Receive Child Safety Seats From GEICO and Emergency Nurses Care

    WASHINGTON, June 1 GEICO and Emergency Nurses (EN) CARE
today donated child safety car seats to the emergency departments of
Children's National Medical Center, Greater Southeast Community Hospital and
Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., to protect children discharged
from the hospitals for the ride home.
    "GEICO is very pleased to join with the emergency health care
professionals at EN CARE, to fulfill this community need, " said David
Schindler, senior vice president for GEICO. "The need was brought to our
attention by a GEICO associate, who had an emergency department visit with her
child and child safety seats were not available for the ride home."
GEICO, the nation's largest direct marketer of auto insurance, and EN CARE
launched the pilot program to offer the child safety seats to the hospitals
for parents or guardians that do not have safety seats for the ride home.
    EN CARE is the not-for-profit injury prevention institute of the Emergency
Nurses Association, with offices in Northern Virginia. The trained emergency
health care professionals volunteer their time to reduce preventable injuries
and deaths through public education. As part of the education and training by
EN CARE, a free child safety seat check for the public was held today at
GEICO's headquarters in Chevy Chase, Md.
    "A recent study found that 82 percent of car seats are misused in some
way, " said Benjamin E. Marett, president of the Emergency Nurses Association.
"That is why we view our mission of public education as critical. Through our
training, emergency department staffs can help parents and guardians properly
use child safety seats."
    In addition, GEICO provided a grant for the program and EN CARE trained
the emergency department staffs in the proper use and installation of child
safety seats. Each hospital received a total of 10 child safety seats; five
convertible, two infant and three booster.
    GEICO uses television, radio, print media and direct mail to attract
customers to call its 1-800-841-3000 number, and keeps its rates low by
dealing directly with the customer. GEICO offers sales and claim services 24
hours a day, seven days a week, and is the largest direct marketer of auto
insurance. It insures more than 4.5 million policyholders and over 6.9 million
automobiles. For more information go to http://www.geico.com.

    GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) and its affiliates GEICO
General, GEICO Indemnity and GEICO Casualty companies insure private passenger
automobiles and provide homeowner and other types of insurance for qualified
applicants. The companies market collectively under the trademark GEICO
Direct.