PLANO, Texas, March 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In Texas, one
motor vehicle crash occurred every 61 seconds in 2015.1
However, a properly installed car seat can help dramatically reduce
injury and prevent death in the case of a crash. That's why Toyota
and Cincinnati Children's are working with Children's Health℠, the
leading pediatric health care system in North Texas, to bring the national safety
program Buckle Up for Life to families in North
Texas.
"Car crashes are the No. 1 leading cause of death for children.
Correctly installed car seats save lives, and we see proof of this
in our emergency rooms every day," said Claudia Romo, director of the Injury Prevention
Service at Children's Health. "Through our combined efforts with
Buckle Up for Life and Toyota, we are equipping families
with the skills and tools they need to be better prepared and safer
on the roads of North Texas and
beyond."
During Buckle Up for Life's program, trained specialists
work closely with parents and caregivers to teach them about all
aspects of car seats, booster seats and seat belts. The classes are
offered in English and Spanish, and free car seats are provided to
families in need. Community members who are interested in learning
more can call the Children's Health Car Seat Program at
214-456-2059.
"Many people are surprised to learn that a staggering three out
of four car seats are incorrectly installed," said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social
Innovation.2 "That's why Buckle Up for Life
is so important. We want every family to have the education and
guidance they need to help keep their children safe. We are proud
to partner with our friends at Children's Health to bring this
life-saving program to our neighbors in our new home in
Texas."
Buckle Up for Life is offering the following critical
tips to caregivers to help keep all children safe.
- Check for fit and wrinkles in car seat
straps. After you've buckled your child in, pinch the car
seat strap near their shoulders. If you can pinch a wrinkle in the
fabric, tighten the strap until it is snug. Then grab the car seat
at the bottom where it is attached to the car and tug from side to
side and front to back. If the seat moves more than an inch in
either direction, tighten it.
- Use a new car seat. When it comes to car seats,
safety experts agree that it's best to use a new seat. This lets
you know the seat's full history. For example, if it has been
through a crash, it may not protect your child from harm.
Additionally, the plastic can degrade over time in the Texas heat. If you do have a used car seat,
check its expiration date, which can usually be found on a sticker
affixed to the seat.
- Make sure your child's seat faces the correct way. Some
parents and caregivers may wonder when it's safe to turn the car
seat around to face forward. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends that children remain in rear-facing car seats until age
2, or until they exceed the height and/or weight limit for the
seat.
- Give them a boost: children under 8 years old and shorter
than 4'9" need booster seats. Little ones can be eager to
sit like big kids. However, seat belts often don't fit young
children properly and can ride up around their waists or necks,
potentially causing injury during a crash. Children under 8 years
old and shorter than 4'9" should sit in booster seats, which
elevate them so that seat belts can fit properly.
- Call in the experts: there are many resources to help you
get it right. Don't hesitate to check out expert resources
for additional tips and advice, such as the car seat installation
videos found on BuckleUpForLife.org. The site also offers links to
car seat inspection stations or child passenger safety technicians
in your community. You can also call the Children's Health Car
Seat Program at 214-456-2059 to make an appointment for a car seat
check in the North Texas
area.
"These tips may seem simple, but they could make the difference
in saving a child's life in the event of a crash - and our children
deserve no less," said Gloria Del
Castillo, child passenger safety expert at Cincinnati
Children's and senior outreach specialist for Buckle Up for
Life. "We're delighted to partner with the terrific team at
Children's Health, who are leaders in safeguarding the Dallas community."
About Children's Health℠
Children's Health℠ is the eighth-largest pediatric health care
provider in the nation and the leading pediatric health care system
in North Texas, providing a full
spectrum of health care services — from daily wellness and primary
care to specialty visits and critical care. Holding eight
disease-specific care certifications from The Joint Commission,
Children's Health has been consistently named one of the nation's
top pediatric providers by U.S. News & World Report. The
Children's Health system includes Children's Medical Center Dallas,
as well as Children's Medical Center Plano, Our Children's House
inpatient rehabilitation hospital, multiple specialty centers,
Children's Health Pediatric Group primary care practices,
rehabilitation facilities, home health, physician services and the
Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT
Southwestern.
About Buckle Up for Life
Buckle Up for Life is a national injury prevention
program for families, created by Toyota and Cincinnati Children's
Hospital Medical Center in 2004, to help keep child passengers
safe. The program partners with leading children's hospitals,
community organizations, local governments, schools and non-profit
organizations to teach parents and children about the proper use of
car seats and seat belts and to provide free car seats to families
in need. Buckle Up for Life has reached more than
45,000 people nationwide and has partnerships in 17 cities
including New York, Dallas, Memphis, Phoenix, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia, Orange County and San Antonio – and expands to new partners each
year. In one city alone, the program nearly tripled the use of
proper car seats in participating families. Toyota has provided
funding for over 40,000 car seats for families in need. For
more information about Buckle Up for Life, please visit
www.buckleupforlife.org.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the
Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past
50 years, we've produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in
North America, where we operate 14
manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North
American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million
cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and
about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years
are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic and governmental
organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility
challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to
support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more
people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit
www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Media Contacts:
For Buckle Up For Life: Amy
Schultz, Amy.Schultz@Finsbury.com, 917-763-8013
For Children's Health: Adriana
Lantzy, Adriana.lantzy@childrens.com, 214-632-8371
1
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trf/crash_statistics/2015/01.pdf
2
https://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle-Shoppers/Resources/LATCH
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SOURCE Toyota; Buckle Up for Life