100 Booster Seats Provided in Celebration of New Maryland Booster Seat Law ROCKVILLE, Md., May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- National Transportation Safety Board member Deborah Hersman joined Safe Kids Montgomery County at a hands-on car seat clinic designed to teach parents how to best secure their children in vehicles. This event is one of 500 child passenger safety events being held by Safe Kids coalitions across the country during May. Hersman was the first NTSB member to become a nationally certified child passenger safety technician and is one of only two known high-ranking government officials to earn this distinction. She will be checking car seats for families at the event. "Being a member of the NTSB, I see the devastating effects of vehicle crashes first hand," said Hersman. "As a child passenger safety technician working with Safe Kids USA and a mother of three young boys, I can put my knowledge about safety in to action. The Safe Kids Buckle Up program has given families across the country the peace of mind that comes with knowing how to properly secure their children in a vehicle." Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 3 to 14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2005, 1,946 children ages 14 and under died and an estimated 234,000 were injured in crashes. However, studies show correctly used child safety seats are extremely effective, reducing the risk of death by as much as 71 percent. But nearly 73 percent of child restraints are not installed or used correctly. Half of children who die in crashes are completely unrestrained. "Car seats can be confusing for a lot of parents," said Torine Creppy, Safe Kids USA's chief program officer and director of the Safe Kids Buckle Up program. "Safe Kids Buckle Up teaches parents and caregivers how to secure their children in a vehicle the right way -- step by step. A correctly used car seat can be the difference between life and death in the event of a crash." Safe Kids USA will also supply the local Montgomery County coalition with 100 free booster seats to distribute to families in need to celebrate the passage of Maryland's booster seat law, which was signed by Governor Martin O'Malley on May 13, 2008. Starting on June 30, children in Maryland will be required to be in a child safety seat up to their 8thbirthday, unless they weigh more than 65 pounds or are 4'9" or taller. Children ages 8 to 15 would be required to use a child safety seat or safety belt. The effort for a new law was led by many community advocates in Maryland, including Safe Kids Baltimore, Safe Kids Montgomery County and Jack Fitzgerald, owner of the Fitzgerald Auto Mall. Safe Kids Montgomery County and Fitzgerald Auto Mall have a long history of making vehicle safety programs a priority in the community. This spring they reached a significant milestone by checking 35,000 child safety seats for proper installation. Safe Kids Buckle Up is a national program developed by Safe Kids USA and sponsored by the General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of protecting children in and around vehicles at all times. Since 1997, the program has inspected nearly one million car seats, donated approximately 365,000 seats to families in need and educated millions of adults and children through programs such as Spot the Tot and Never Leave Your Child Alone. In addition, a fleet of more than 130 Mobile Car Seat Checkup Vans serves communities across the United States, more than 450 permanent child safety seat inspections stations are operated by Safe Kids coalitions, and program resources are used to advocate for upgraded child passenger laws in the states. About Safe Kids Buckle Up Safe Kids Buckle Up(R)
is a national program developed by Safe Kids USA and sponsored by General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of properly restraining children on every ride. Since 1997, the program has inspected nearly one million car seats; held approximately 45,000 car seat checkup events around the country; donated approximately 365,000 car seats to families in need and educated more than 13 million parents and caregivers. For more information visit: www.usa.safekids.org. About General Motors General Motors Corp. , the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 274,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. SPOT THE TOT(SM) is a service mark of Primary Children's Medical Center Foundation.
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