2009-35
MEDIA ADVISORY :  September 25, 2009
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   Captain Art Wilburn   (785)296-6800

KMCA to Make Presentation to Patrol

News conference and photo opportunities

To support the life-saving goals of both Child Passenger Safety Week and Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, the Kansas Motor Carriers Association (KMCA) will be donating 105 child safety seats to the Kansas Highway Patrol at a news conference on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. The conference will be at 1:30 p.m. and will be held in the KDOT parking lot at 101 SW Gage Blvd, just north of I-70, in Topeka.

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for children ages three to six and eight to 14. Using the proper child safety seat can substantially decrease the chance of death or injury to a child, should they be involved in a vehicle crash. Each year, KMCA, a member organization representing the trucking and transportation industry, makes a large donation of child safety seats to the Kansas Highway Patrol. The seats are then sent to the Patrol's seven troop headquarters to be dispersed statewide.

At the September 30 media conference, the KMCA No Zone trailer will be on display for photo opportunities, as will Kansas Highway Patrol vehicles. Interviews will be available with troopers and KMCA personnel. Tom Whitaker, Executive Director of KMCA, will join Colonel Terry Maple, Patrol Superintendent, to speak at the event.

National Child Passenger Safety Week was held from September 12-18, 2009. Every year during Child Passenger Safety Week, technicians across the nation sponsor car seat installations, seat checks, and other events for children and their families. Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day this year falls on Saturday, October 10. The day is a day to practice extra attention to the roadways, make sure the roads and our vehicles are in the best condition, and for drivers to be aware and practice safe driving behaviors. This year's theme, "Don't be Driven to Distraction - Drive to Arrive," addresses what has become a national hot topic-distracted driving.