Safe Kids WNC to host free car seat installation checks this weekend

Press release

From MIssion Health

Asheville, N.C. (Sept. 17, 2012) – Looking to curtail the number of children killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes, Safe Kids Western North Carolina, a service of Mission Children’s Hospital, will host a child safety seat inspection (Saturday) Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand at Harry’s on the Hill, located at 819 Patton Ave. in Asheville for this free event.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2010, two children, 12 or younger, were killed and 325 were injured each day in passenger vehicles.

“Unfortunately, Asheville is not immune to this sort of tragedy,” said Beverly Hopps, health educator with WNC Safe Kids. “You can never predict or control what other drivers might do or how the weather might change the safety of a roadway. The best way to project your kids is put them in the right car seats for their age and size and use those seats correctly on every trip, every time. By attending Safe Kids WNC car seat event on National Seat Check Saturday, parents and caregivers can be sure their kids are riding as safely as possible.”

Hopps also advised parents to follow NHTSA’s car seat recommendations that urge parents and caregivers keep children in their restraint types for as long as possible according to manufacturer instructions before moving them to the next type. For maximum safety, a parent or caregiver should have the car seat inspected by a certified child passenger safety technician to ensure their children are in the right seats for their age.

In addition to correctly bucking children 12 and under into the back seat, parents and caregivers are urged to remember the following:
· Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size; choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it on very trip, every time.
· Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions and read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system.
· Keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
· Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12

For more information on car seat safety, Child Passenger Safety Week and to find other seat check events, visit www.usa.safekids.org.

About Safe Kids Western North Carolina
Safe Kids Western North Carolina works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. Its members include fire and law enforcement, EMS and child advocacy groups. Safe Kids WNC is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury.
Founded in 1994, Safe Kids WNC is led by Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville.

About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. In 2012 Mission Health was named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Thomson Reuters – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates five hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 730 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital– the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina.

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