CLAY FIRE Territory - Community Service Division

March 2011
(Message of the Month)

Child Passenger Safety

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 14 and under, accounting for 2568 deaths in 1998. Furthermore, more than 274,000 children ages 14 and under were injured as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in 1998. On an average day, seven children under 14 are killed, and 866 are injured in motor vehicle crashes here in the United States.Here in Indiana, 55 children under the age of 16 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 1999.

One glaring reason for the high number of injuries and fatalities is because children are still traveling in motor vehicles unrestrained or not properly restrained in Indiana. In fact nearly 60% of the Hoosier children fatally injured in motor vehicle crashes in 1999 were unrestrained. In addition, the misuse of child safety seats continues to be a major problem. Nine out of every ten child safety seats are misused in Indiana, which mirrors national trends.