A number of small children have been fatally or seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes as a result of two factors:

• Motorists not knowledgeable about the dangers of improper restraint use, especially in vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags
• Infants being placed in the front of vehicles with passenger-side air bags
• Parents misusing child restraint seats.

Over 2,200 children aged one to four are killed or injured each year in Missouri. It is crucial that awareness be high and education be in the forefront to eliminate the needless deaths and injuries resulting from these traffic crashes.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The project's main objectives are to:

• Increase the educational levels of motorists transporting children about the importance of child restraint systems and air bags
• Increase the education of parents and others on the proper use of child safety seats and the dangers of transporting infants in the front seat of an air bag-equipped vehicle
• Develop partnerships with businesses to increase public awareness of the dangers of air bags and child restraints in front seats.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

Planned strategies included:

• The Governor producing a public service announcement explaining the dangers inherent with children and passenger-side air bags and distributing it statewide to radio and television stations
• Conducting seven press conferences stressing the importance of proper child safety seat installation and the dangers of child restraints placed in front seats with passenger-side air bags
• Developing partnerships with the Missouri Auto Dealers Association and the Cameron Insurance Companies to address child seat safety in automobiles.

RESULTS

The Governor produced a public service announcement (PSA), which was distributed throughout the state to radio and television stations explaining the dangers of improper child restaint use. The PSA emphasized that in vehicles with passenger-side air bags, it is important to put children in the back seat properly restrained.

Two partnerships were formed. The first was with the Missouri Auto Dealers Association which distributed over 6,000 letters and materials regarding this issue to dealerships, law enforcement personnel and child-care providers.

A second partnership was formed with the Cameron Insurance Companies, which jointly conducted seven press conferences with the Missouri Division of Highway Safety announcing its support for the Children Have An iDentity (CHAD) program. The parent or guardian writes the child's name on the CHAD sticker and places it on the child safety seat. Over 50,000 CHAD stickers were produced and distributed. Additionally, Cameron Insurance incorporated the child restraint and front passenger-side air bags issue into the press conferences. All of these efforts increased public knowledge on the issue of child restraints and passenger-side air bags.