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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Although New York was
the first state to enact a primary enforcement seat belt law, and its
political climate is extremely supportive of safety belt legislation,
the state's seat belt compliance rate remained unchanged at 75 percent
between 1995 and 1998. Analysis of traffic safety data indicated that,
in 85 percent of cases, if adult motor vehicle occupants wore seat belts,
their child passengers were also properly restrained. However, if adults
were unrestrained, child passengers were properly buckled up in only
25 percent of cases. It was clear that too many New York children remained
at serious risk of death or injury when traveling in a motor vehicle.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
To help reduce the number
of deaths and injuries to child passengers resulting from improper use
of occupant restraint systems, the New York State Police developed the
Child Passenger Safety Program in 1998. Specific objectives of the program
were to:
- Develop a comprehensive
educational program available to parents and caregivers in every part
of the state
- Promote the program using
a variety of media
- Create permanent fitting
stations where parents can obtain education on child passenger
safety, and assistance with the installation of their child restraint
devices
- Encourage "in-service"
child passenger safety training for all New York State Police uniformed
officers
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1998,
the New York State Police implemented the Buckle Up New York
campaign, a zero tolerance safety belt enforcement campaign conducted
statewide, with more than 400 police agencies participating. Concurrently,
state police officials developed the Child Passenger Safety Program,
targeting parents and caregivers. The program was designed to educate
those transporting children, through direct contact at public events,
use of the media and distribution of educational materials. By combining
the two programs, state police emphasized to the public that occupant
protection was important for all age groups.
In July 1998,
the New York State Police hosted its first Child Passenger Safety (CPS)
Training Program for state troopers, using the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration's (NHTSA) standardized curriculum. Participants
earned national certification as CPS Technicians, and went on to promote
child passenger safety in every region of the state. State police also
teamed with the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to purchase a stock
of child restraint devices, related supplies and equipment to support
the troopers efforts in the field.
As interest
in the program grew among troopers, instructors conducted a CPS training
program to educate rank and file officers who encounter the motoring
public on a daily basis. A total of 300 state troopers have been trained,
with an additional 150 scheduled to receive training by the end of 2000.
The Child Passenger
Safety Program has also received substantial assistance from important
partnerships developed with Federal, state and local government agencies,
a variety of law enforcement organizations, private corporations and
child safety advocates nationwide.
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