There's More to the Auto Show Than Concept Cars as CHP and 21st Provide Car Seat Safety Tips

LOS ANGELES--Jan. 7, 2005--

New California Law: All Children under 6 Years Old or 60 Pounds Must Ride in Back Seat

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 70% of child safety seats are improperly installed and are a potential source of injury for children. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children two years of age, and for people of every age from four to 34 years old. To help reduce preventable injuries and deaths, 21st Century Insurance and the California Highway Patrol will kick off the fourth year of their statewide child safety seat inspection campaign at the L.A. Auto Show this weekend.

Throughout the Auto Show, visitors can view child safety seat demonstrations by CHP officers and learn common mistakes made by parents when installing and using car seats at the 21st Century Insurance booth in Kentia Hall. Parents interested in tips on selecting the right car seat can also pick up a copy of 21st's Child Safety Seats: A Parent's Guide. Guides and safety demonstrations will be available at all times during the Auto Show.

California's child safety seat law requires a child passenger restraint (child safety seat or booster seat) to be used for all children until they are at least 6 years old or 60 pounds. The law has been updated for 2005, making it illegal for any child under age 6 or weighing less than 60 pounds to ride in the front seat of a vehicle. 21st Century Insurance's Child Safety Seats: A Parent's Guide offers additional tips on child passenger safety, including:

-- All children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in the back seat;

-- Never place a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat where a front-mounted passenger air bag is present; and

-- Children who weigh over 40 pounds or who have outgrown their 5-point harness system should use a belt-positioning booster seat.

"Wearing your seat belt is the best insurance against being killed or seriously injured in many vehicle crashes," said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown.

For the past three years, 21st Century Insurance, the CHP and campaign spokesperson Erik Estrada have conducted safety fairs in communities throughout California. At the events, CHP officers inspect and, if necessary, replace and install new car seats donated by 21st Century Insurance. In the last three years, the CHP has conducted nearly 3,000 inspections, removed and destroyed over 1,500 hazardous seats, and 21st has donated over 2,300 new seats to California families. The first safety fair of 2005 will be held Saturday, January 15 in Altadena, followed by events in San Diego, Riverside, Fresno, Redding and San Jose.

"At 21st Century Insurance, the safety of all motorists and passengers on the road is a huge priority," said Joyce Prager, Assistant Vice President, Community Relations. "As a California-based company, we are committed to helping our fellow Californians obtain proper child safety seats and additional life-saving advice on how to protect their young passengers and themselves while driving."

According to recent data from NHTSA, at least 80 percent of children who should ride in booster seats currently do not. NHTSA recommends that children who weigh over 40 pounds or who have outgrown their 5-point harness system should be placed in a booster seat. Using a booster seat allows the seat belt to be positioned across the child where it is most effective.

In addition to 21st Century Insurance's joint safety efforts with the California Highway Patrol, the insurer will debut its 2005 Crash Test Ratings Guide at the Auto Show. The guide compiles crash test data from the Insurance Information Institute for 2005 autos, vans, and SUV's and recommends the "Best Pick" for safety conscious consumers in each category of vehicle based on the crash test results.

All of 21st Century Insurance's consumer guides are available in English and Spanish and can be obtained by contacting the company's corporate headquarters at 1-800-211-SAVE or visiting its Web site, 21st.com.

For more information regarding the proper installation of child safety seats, each of the CHP's 102 area offices has designated one day a week when the public can schedule an appointment to have child safety seats inspected and get instruction and assistance with proper seat installation. A list of office locations and telephone numbers is available in the telephone directory or on the CHP web site at www.chp.ca.gov.