Did You Know ?

• Every 14 seconds someone in the U.S. is injured in a traffic crash, and every 12 minutes someone is killed.
• On- and off-the-job traffic crashes cost U.S. businesses an estimated $55 billion in 1994 in lost productivity, higher insurance premiums and medical costs.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 5 to 14. An average of eight children are killed and more than 900 are injured in crashes every day.
• Safety belts reduce the chance of injury or death in a crash by 45%, and save nearly 10,000 lives each year.
• Children who are properly secured in safety seats survive three quarters of the crashes that would otherwise be fatal.

Safety Check

• Properly wear your safety belt. The shoulder strap should cross the collarbone and fit snugly. The lap belt should be low and tight.
• Protect your child correctly. The Back Is Where It's At for children 12 and under. Use a rear-facing seat for children under a year and who weigh less than 20 pounds. Use a forward facing seat for children who are a year or more and who weigh 20 to 40 pounds. Use a booster seat for children who weigh 40+ pounds until he/she is big enough to use a safety belt.
• Child safety seats are not always compatible with all rear seating positions in vehicles. Read the vehicle owner's manual and the instructions for the child safety seat carefully.

What About Air Bags ?

• Most tragedies involving air bags could be prevented if air bags are used in combination with a safety belt and if children under 12 are properly restrained in the rear seat.
• Air bags only provide supplemental crash protection in frontal crashes.
• Air bags have a good safety record and are credited with saving more than 2,600 lives.
• Drivers should sit as far as possible from the steering wheel to give the air bag room to deploy and dissipate its energy. Ten to 12 inches between the chest and air bag module is recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Deactivation

Should air bags be deactivated ? No, not unless you meet the following criteria.

• The driver cannot sit 10 to 12 inches from the steering wheel and air bag module, and drive the car safely.
• The driver and/or passenger has one of several medical conditions.
• The driver must transport children under 12 in the front seat because the car has no back seat or because of a car pool situation.
• For more information on deactivation, contact the NHTSA Hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

For more information on occupant protection, contact the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) at 202/452-6005.