State Farm Community Volunteers

For decades, safety advocates have stressed the importance of using car seats, booster seats and seat belts for children riding in automobiles.  Yet motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death in the United States.

There are precautionary measures parents can take to ensure that their children are riding safely in vehicles.  When used correctly, child restraints effectively reduce the risk of death and serious injury in a crash.  In order to help parents learn about the correct use of child restraints, the State Farm Community Volunteers (SFCV) network began hosting Child Safety Day events across the nation in 2001. Currently, Child Safety Day events are held in May and September.  At this "car seat inspection day," parents and caregivers are taught how to properly buckle up their children by certified Child Passenger Safety technicians.

State Farm's commitment to child passenger safety is also evident by its ongoing partnership with The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  This project, known as Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS), is the largest ongoing research study ever conducted in the United States to determine how and why children are killed and injured in vehicle crashes.

The 2006 Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) Fact and Trend Report highlights a tremendous increase in child restraint use for 4-8 year olds.  In addition, the report indicates that as children get older their risk of injury increases.  Many children, who should be using car seats or booster seats, are instead being moved too soon to adult seat belts.  While lap and shoulder belts are safer than no restraint at all, they were designed to fit adults and should not be used until a child reaches 4’9”.  Children using adult seat belts before they fit properly are at significantly increased risk for injury in a crash.

PCPS data continues to reinforce the need for ongoing education on appropriate restraint use and the need to keep children in the rear seat of a vehicle through age 12.  The study also points to the need for continued research and development, as well as the adoption of legislation and public policies, to support the unique needs of child passengers. The data on teenage drivers support the need for additional research, the implementation of interventions to improve driving skills, and improved graduated driver licensing laws.

See Child Passenger Safety for more current research findings or visit The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia®.

Following the best practices for buckling up children is crucial to preventing devastating injuries and death. The Child Safety Day events provide a great opportunity for parents and caregivers to become educated about these practices.

See Child Passenger Safety for more detailed information about the best practices for buckling up children.

Below are the results compiled from our national Child Safety Day events.

*These are estimates due to some reporting errors.

Questions?

For more information or questions, please contact the State Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship® team.