Putting safety first: National Child Passenger Safety Week kicks off with
crash test
By Kiernan M. Schalk
The Sentinel

BELLEFONTE - To kick off National Child Passenger Safety Week, several
people from different organizations stood around in the chilly weather
Thursday at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute to watch a live
automobile crash test.

Dr. Zoltan Rado, director of crash safety research at the Pennsylvania
Transportation Institute said, even at 35 miles per hour, significant damage
was caused to both the vehicle and the crash-test dummies inside.

As part of the test, two dummy children were placed in child safety seats in
the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee. One was secured properly in his seat, one
was not.

"The (unsecured) child (dummy) flew over the front seat and hit the
windshield," Rado said.

"At the very least this child would have been critically injured," said Dr.
Robert D. Barraco, chief pediatrician at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

"The car needs to be treated as a weapon," Barraco said.

Barraco warned an audience of concerned citizens and professionals that the
No. 1 cause of death for 5- to 12-year-olds is motor vehicle accidents.

"Five children die every day (in the U.S.) from motor vehicle accidents,"
Barraco said.

"I don't want to ever have to talk to any of you about the death and
disability of a loved one," Barraco said as he addressed the audience and
reminded people to buckle their seat belts.

Barraco said there are several things you can do to prevent injuries to
children.

"Everyone should buckle up every time ... our children learn from watching
us ... they should be properly restrained each and every time they're in a
vehicle," Barraco said.

"Something as simple as putting children in the rear seat as opposed to the
front seat cuts fatalities by one-third," Barraco said.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman Craig Reed said most
accidents are caused by aggressive drivers and people who are intoxicated.

Reed said the most dangerous drivers are those with the least experience, 16
to 24 year olds.

Reed went on to say that 140,000 traffic accidents are reported every year
in Pennsylvania.

"In 2005 there were 1,616 fatalities," Reed said.

Pennsylvania State Police community service officer Tpr. David C. McGarvey
announced that several child safety inspection areas will be open in the
coming week to help people better secure their children.

McGarvey said that children under the age of 8 must be in a child safety
seat.

"We encourage parents to go to a car seat inspection place," McGarvey said.

"Parents come away with a better understanding of how to be safe and
properly secure their children," McGarvey said.

"85 percent of kids have been found to be improperly restrained," Barraco
said.

To find a car seat inspection station in your area: SeatCheck.org

By Jjb on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 02:05 pm:

Thanks Trina! The more info. the better! We had a 5 year old over Sunday for a play date. I drove him home....in a car seat of course. He was very angry with me because he no longer sits in a car seat. This little boy only weighed 45 lbs at the most. I was so mad at his parents. Then yesterday in a parking lot I saw an infant car seat in the base forward facing. I have no idea how you could ever put one in forward facing...but they did. I wanted to leave a note on the car but I couldn't find any paper. I'm hoping maybe it was a seat they were storing in the car and not using. It was in the center and looked like it was being used forward facing. It's such a simple way to help protect children- I find it so sad that some parents just can't be bothered with it. I'm on my soap box today!