Agenda - 06-25-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BUCKLE UP BABY + I. PROJECT SUMMARY PROBLEM 14 Although the usage rate of infant autorr:obile s -ifet—=pats l,�is increacsod dra.matically since the first Nol-th C;3rnl1,,:j 1e =Tra.ilit l:�w or 1'15? i1;.'` in 1982 vs, 56 al' in 1957 this lncle,isN his unl� result Pd in a 15. 3 reduction of fatal :.,nd sr; ious ill �u, ie,= In .'f ;r1 -T0 five —ear -old children. tiezative health behaviors in the geueral population :ale colltrlbutl.Ig to the co ;itinued high injury and fatality rates in children. At least 50 out of every 100 children who have died in auto crashes Gould have survived if they had been properly secured In a car safety seat. Data from the 1989 Anbulance Call Report Svster., (see Attach °cent 11 which records whether seat belts /infant seats are in use during rotor vehicle accidents in 'Orange County indicates that seat belts /infant seats were used in less than one third of accidents for which belt use was noted (35 of 115 recorded accidents). Another source of data, the 1988 North Carolina Medical Database Com:-ission Summary, indicates at least 12 out of 27 children ages 0 -4 were hospitalized for head injuries, fractures /dislocations, contusions and other injuries possibly related to not using safety restraints or not using them properly (Attachment 2), The Hi.-hway Safety Research Center has identified several reasons for these statistics. First, there has been an increased exposure to automobile accidents and a downsizing- of cars that increase the severity of injuries. Secondly, there seems to be a difference between drivers who buckle up their children and those who don't: increasingly, those drivers who are in accidents with unrestrained children are charged with DWI. Finally, so=e children may be in car seats which aren't proper for their- age, or the restraints are improperly applied. Observations show that one out of every five safety seats is misused so badly that the children would not be protected in a crash. HISTORY The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) has been involved with car seat safety programs since 1982. Initially (1582 --87), there was a collaborative infant and toddler safety seat "loaner" program with Orange County Child Safety Passenger Association ( OCCPSA), which attempted to address the need for child safety restraints in Orange County. The OCCPSA was a unique organization in that it was a cooperative effort between two private religious, charitable, volunteer organizations and a health department. By its nature, coordination of the Association and volunteer efforts was a formidable task. 1