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2009-36
PRESS RELEASE :  September 30, 2009
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   Captain Art Wilburn   (785)296-6800

Kansas Motor Carriers Association Provides 105 Child Safety Seats

Seats will be distributed statewide through the Kansas Highway Patrol

The Kansas Motor Carriers Association (KMCA) made a life-saving donation to the Kansas Highway Patrol today. KMCA donated 105 child safety seats to be distributed statewide via KHP troopers and child seat technicians. Annually, KMCA makes a commitment to preserving the lives of Kansas children with their car seat donations.

The donation of child safety seats comes in between two major events geared at saving lives on our nation's roads. Child Passenger Safety Week was earlier this month, running from September 12-18, 2009. Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is on October 10, 2009. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death nationwide for children ages three to six and eight to 14. Over the last 10 years in Kansas, 138 children ages four to 13 died in motor vehicle crashes. Of those children, only 50, or 36-percent were properly restrained.

"With KMCA's generosity this year, as in years past, 105 more children in this state have a chance to be kept safe should they be involved in a collision. I have seen the good this donation does, and have seen the difference it makes to Kansas families. The Kansas Highway Patrol is very fortunate in our partnerships as organizations like the KMCA and others join us to promote and further our safety messages," Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Terry Maple, said.

The first annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day was held in October of 2001. The goal was to deliver messages to the public about the major causes of transportation fatalities and about avoiding them. Retired KDOT engineer Larry Emig came up with the idea for the first Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day and modeled it after the Great American Smokeout. The first annual event came at a time when the nation was still somber from the 9/11 attacks. It was a time when preventable traffic deaths were recognized and the importance of reducing these was realized. Organizations across the nation are holding individual events and partnering to host group activities to raise awareness on this issue. In preparation for Put the Brakes on Fatalities, KDOT's Kansas Transportation Online Community (KTOC) is hosting a series of traffic safety blogs covering topics ranging from distracted driving, senior drivers, work zone safety, and more. To view the Put the Brakes on Fatalities blogs, go to www.ktoc.net and look for the 'Latest Activity' section.

There are important guidelines parents and caregivers can refer to when trying to determine which restraint system is best to protect a child, dependent on age and size. The 4 Steps for Kids contains the following guidelines for helping choose the safest seat for your child, or for children in your care.

  1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age one and at least 20 pounds.
  2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age one and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age four and 40 pounds).
  3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age four and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age eight or when they are 4'9" tall).
  4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age eight or when they are 4'9" tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

Adults should always read the child restraint manufacturer's instructions and the instructions found in their vehicle owner's manual before installing a safety seat. NHTSA studies show that the three most common mistakes in installing a child safety seat are (1) not attaching the seat correctly and tightly to the car or truck; (2) not fastening the harness tightly enough, and (3) not using the chest clip or using it incorrectly. Information on Kansas' child seat requirements can be found on Kansas Department of Health and Environment's site at: www.kansasboosterseat.org.