Children at Risk in Cars
May 7, 2001
The National Safe Kids Campaign issued its report on child safety regulations today, citing 24 states as failing to pass adequate regulations to protect young automobile passengers. The report coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week and issues grades ranging from A to F. Only California earned an A. The state passed legislation in 2000 mandating age and size appropriate restraints for children ages 4 and 5. New Jersey received the worst score as its laws permit all children over 17 months to ride unrestrained in the rear seat.
Florida earned the only B; five states received Cs and 18 Ds. The consumer group cited states for failing to pass any significant child safety regulations since the early 1980s. "Safe Kids' intention is not to place blame," the authors of the report said. "We would like to see states revisit their child occupant protection laws and make substantive improvements to protect our children."
A spokesman for the group said that passing new and more stringent laws is not the only solution. "Low belt use is not because of the wording of the laws but has to do with the probability of the driver being stopped for noncompliance," he said. The group's goal is to significantly improve child auto safety by 2006. While deaths from auto accidents have decreased in general, they are still the number one killer of children under 14. Nearly 1,800 children under 14 are killed each year in auto accidents and 272,000 are injured. Many of these deaths and injuries are due to parental ignorance. According to the group's spokesman, many parents do not know what type of seat restraint is proper for their child and those that do are unlikely to install and use the equipment correctly. "They [parents] look to their state laws to give them guidance," the report said. "In most states, the law does not do an adequate job of educating parents on this important issue. A strong law that requires children to ride correctly secured in age- and size-appropriate restraints can encourage parents to make the right choices in protecting their children."
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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