Key West The Newspaper

SAFETY BASICS KEEP KIDS SEATED SAFE AND SECURE

National Child Passenger Safety Week Sept. 18-24

As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, AAA – The Auto Club Group and its Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation join organizations nationwide to encourage parents and caregivers to make sure their children are riding safe and secure.

“This week serves as a good reminder for parents and caregivers to keep safety basics in mind when it comes to traveling with children in a vehicle,” said Amy Stracke, executive director, Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation. “This means ensuring that all children – from babies to teens – are safely buckled up every time they ride in a vehicle.”

AAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend all infants and toddlers ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are two years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat’s manufacturer.

“Parents and caregivers are often anxious to turn their young children forward-facing in their car seats too soon,” said Michele Harris, traffic safety consultant, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “However, due to their underdeveloped bodies, children below the age of two who ride forward-facing are at a greater risk of head, neck and spinal cord injuries if involved in a collision.”

Older children may also be at risk of injury if riding in the front seat before they are ready. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly 60% of vehicle crashes are frontal impacts and 20% are side impacts. Children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat because they are typically not large enough to safely ride in the front seat and can be seriously injured by front passenger air bags in the event of a crash. This is especially significant since a recent AAA Consumer PulseTM survey of parents revealed that 73% of parents in Florida first allowed their child to sit in the front seat of a moving vehicle at age 12 or younger.

AAA and the Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation encourage adults to set a good example for children by buckling up every trip regardless of seat location. For more information on car seat safety, visit SafeSeats4Kids.AAA.com.

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About AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey
The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in Florida from June 10, 2016 – June 29, 2016. A total of 400 residents completed the survey among the general population, with 282 surveys among parents. Survey results have a margin of error of ± 5.8 percentage points.

About Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation
Established by AAA – The Auto Club Group in 2010, Auto Club Group Traffic Safety Foundation, Inc. (ACGTSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and public charity dedicated to producing a significant and continuous reduction in traffic crashes, injuries and deaths in the communities targeted by its efforts. ACGTSF provides programs, education and outreach to increase public awareness about the importance of traffic safety and improve driving behavior. ACGTSF is funded by voluntary, tax-deductible contributions from organizations and individuals who support ACGTSF’s purpose. Visit www.AAA.com/Foundation for more information.

About The Auto Club Group
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America. ACG and its affiliates provide membership, travel, insurance and financial services offerings to over 9 million members across eleven states and two U.S. territories including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; most of Illinois and Minnesota; and a portion of Indiana. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 56 million members in the United States and Canada and whose mission includes protecting and advancing freedom of mobility and improving traffic safety.