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CNN Live At Daybreak
Still a Long Way to go on Child Safety Seat Importance
Aired February 07, 2002 - 06:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Surely we've all heard this, authorities have been preaching the importance of child safety seats for years now, but are parents really getting it? A new study is being released in about three hours on child safety seats.
And joining me from Washington to talk about the findings is Heather Paul who is the Executive Director of the National Safe Kids Campaign -- good morning.
HEATHER PAUL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SAFE KIDS CAMPAIGN: Morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: So give us a preview, what did you find out?
PAUL: Well, we looked at over 9,000 kids in 6,000 vehicles and it's really not a pretty picture yet. We found that 14 percent of children are completely unbuckled and that means their parents are just not meeting their responsibilities, and another third of kids, largely older children, are in the wrong seat for their age and weight and height. So there's a lot more work we have to do.
COSTELLO: I think the most shocking statistic is 50 percent of the kids are not protected while driving, and by that do you mean they're not buckled in correctly?
PAUL: Well, it's a combination of the 14 percent who are completely unbuckled with another third who are in the wrong seat. So overall, half of these kids just aren't getting full protection in what could be a very serious situation because most people do suffer some kind of motor vehicle crash in their lifetime. So we need to make sure that parents really understand the risks because they're high.
COSTELLO: Well why don't they understand? Well I mean...
PAUL: Well I think it's...
COSTELLO: Go ahead.
PAUL: It's a question of a -- it's a perception of risk. Most people get up in the morning and they get dressed and they start the carpool and they get the kids to school or to day care and they never imagine that today could be the day they're in that crash. And that's probably the best mentality to have. It's sort of a positive way of looking at a very strong risk in saying I can do all I can to protect my kids by getting them buckled up, absolutely in the backseat at all times, and older kids as well.
And we know that kids as they get older, they're a little more independent and willful, and parents sometimes they just give up and say OK, I'll just use the adult belt system, for instance, when they're really in harm's way without that belt-positioning booster.
COSTELLO: Got you.
We want to take a look at some -- we want to take a look at some video right now of the way not to buckle your kid in. So explain to us what parents are doing wrong. What is the biggest mistake that you see?
PAUL: Well, as you can see right here, there's no platform, there's no booster seat to lift that child up to make sure that that shoulder belt is over the shoulder instead of over the neck. As you can see, he even looks uncomfortable. And if he looks uncomfortable, he's probably going to take that shoulder belt off and put it behind him.
And secondly, in a crash, the physics dictate that he could suffer severe neck and spine injuries from this -- from the real force and violence of a crash. At the same time, you can't see in that video, but the lap belt also can't be positioned right in an adult belt system for kids between 40 and 80 pounds who should be in a booster seat.
COSTELLO: OK, very simply, tell us how to correctly strap our kids in.
PAUL: Well when they're small and infants, they should be in a rear-facing infant seat. When they're between 20 and 40 pounds, they should be in a forward-facing convertible seat. And between the ages of roughly four and eight and 40 and 80 pounds, they should be in a belt-positioning booster seat that properly positions the adult belt system so they don't suffer severe injuries in that violent crash.
COSTELLO: Got you.
And lastly, what should be done to remedy this problem? Should the laws be strengthened? Should be parents pay legally for not strapping their kids in properly?
PAUL: Well, it's a combination of forces. I know that we're working with UAW and General Motors doing free car seat distributions to low income families. We're doing literally thousands and thousands of car seat checks around the country to help parents get it right. And of course we need to close the loopholes and more child protection laws. And also strong enforcement so that the traffic safety police have the permission and to really go into that backseat and say to a parent you know there is a fine, children should be in booster seats and all children should be restrained even when they leave that driveway.
COSTELLO: Hey, what could automakers do, can they do anything?
PAUL: Well, they're doing a great deal. All the automakers are much more committed to child passenger safety than they have been in the past. And certainly Safe Kids and UAW, General Motors are very invested in free seat distribution as well as helping parents through public service announcements and car seat checks to make sure they can get this right.
COSTELLO: OK, Heather Paul, thanks for joining us this morning and getting up early with us.
PAUL: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thanks for the good advice.
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