As summer approaches, it’s time to think about family outings and road trips. But whether you are traveling long distances or just around town, make sure you are buckled up with your safety belts and that your children are in safety seats appropriate to their weight and age.
Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that in 2005, 1,335 children age 14 and younger died as a result of motor vehicle crashes and about 184,000 were injured. Incredibly, that is an average of four deaths and 504 injuries each day. The agency emphasized that 50 percent of these deaths can be prevented when children are placed in age- and size-appropriate car seats and booster seats.
Unfortunately, while many people are very conscientious about using car safety seats, the CDC cites a study that found 72 percent of the 3,500 seats looked at “were misused in a way that could be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash.”
Banner Del E. Webb Women’s Education department offers a twice-monthly class called Children Are Priceless Passengers to teach parents about the importance of child safety seats, how to choose a safety seat appropriate to a child’s weight and age, as well as how to install them properly. This class is open to the public and to those who have been cited for not having a car seat. The class costs $25 and at the end of the class, attendees receive a car seat. If you are interested in this class, please call 1-602-230-CARE or 1-800-230-CARE. You can also register online by visiting www.bannerhealth.com choose “Classes and Support” and then choose CAPP from the classes menu.
The medical center also offers a yearly free car seat safety check for people who already have car seats.
“We are very proactive about making sure babies and children are protected in properly installed car seats,” said Catherine Walden, women’s health educator at Banner Del E. Webb Medical. “It has been proven over and over again that car seats save children’s lives.”
This year’s free car seat safety check will be held from 7:30 – 10 a.m. on April 9, in the Child Development Center parking lot, 14505 W. Granite Valley Drive, just behind the hospital’s main entrance.
To arrange an appointment for a free car seat safety check, please call Walden at 623-214-4418.
