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AAA Washington: School's Open - Drive Carefully

29 August 1997

AAA Washington: School's Open - Drive Carefully

                The Key to Safety is Practicing What You Know

    BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 28 -- It's time for the 1997-98 school
year to begin and time to launch AAA's annual School's Open -- Drive Carefully
campaign.  Each September AAA reminds everyone that traffic crashes are the
number one threat to our children's lives.  In fact, traffic crashes lead all
causes of death and injury among children up to age 14," said Janet Ray,
director of Corporate Communications for AAA Washington.
    "The best way to address this threat to our children's lives is behavior
consistent with knowledge," Ray continued.  "At this time of year, drivers
know that it's more important than ever to watch out for children hurrying to
school or bus stops who might not remember to watch out for cars, but knowing
isn't enough.  Drivers need to actually slow down in all residential areas,
not just in school zones, so they get that extra time to react to the
unexpected child who darts into the road without looking.
    "Children need to develop a clear understanding of behaviors to carry them
safely to school and back home.  Not only do children need to learn to be safe
pedestrians, but they also need to learn how to protect themselves as
passengers in motor vehicles.  Once they learn how, they need to practice
these behaviors on a daily basis to stay safe.
    "Children aged 12 and under should always ride properly restrained in the
back seat of the vehicle unless there is virtually no alternative.  This is
the safest place in the car, even in cars not equipped with air bags," Ray
said.
    The only exceptions to this would be for cars and trucks that don't have
back seats, when there are four children passengers (too many to sit in just
the back seat), or for certain medical conditions which require the child to
be under constant observation even while in a vehicle.  Even under these
conditions, a rear-facing child safety seat should never be installed in the
front seat of a vehicle that is equipped with a passenger-side air bag.  Car
safety seats position children dangerously close to the air bag when it
deploys.
    "Parents and other adults who drive children to and from school need to
know that the number one safety behavior for you and the children you
transport is to buckle up," Ray concluded.  "You are the role model for your
children and others who ride with you.  The best reinforcement to teaching
children safe behavior is to see you practice it.  Remember, the key to safety
is practicing what you know."
    AAA Washington is a not-for-profit organization with 13 offices in central
and western Washington.  The club provides more than 560,000 members with
travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.

SOURCE  AAA Washington