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U.S. Classrooms Receive Important Air Bag Safety Course

18 April 2000

U.S. Classrooms Receive Important Air Bag Safety Course Courtesy of DaimlerChrysler Corporation

        Passenger Safety Curriculum Reaches 21 Million School Children

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 17 Every elementary school in
the U.S. will soon receive special educational materials on air bag safety
courtesy of DaimlerChrysler Corporation.  The program, called "The Back Is
Where It's At," will reach 21 million school children in 53,000 schools across
the country.  The $1 million program is one of the largest efforts of its kind
and is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the
American Academy of Pediatricians.
    "The Back Is Where It's At" teaches air bag safety and the importance of
proper child restraint in the back seat.  Originally developed by
DaimlerChrysler Corporation in 1997, the curriculum continues to be in such
demand that the corporation is distributing an updated version, including a
bi-lingual edition.
    "Our message is simple:  Air bags save lives, but children risk life-
threatening injury if they sit unbelted in a front passenger seat with an air
bag.  Teachers, parents, and children need to know that the safest place for
kids to ride is in the back seat," said Susan Cischke, Senior Vice President
of Regulatory Affairs and Passenger Car Operations at DaimlerChrysler
Corporation.
    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat restrained in a child
safety seat or the vehicle's lap/shoulder belts, depending on the child's
height and weight.  School age children are especially at risk, according to a
recent study by the Center for Disease Control, which found that most children
weighing 40 to 80 pounds are not using the booster seats they need to
adequately protect them in a crash.
    To emphasize the need for booster seat use, DaimlerChrysler will donate
2,000 booster seats to various safety organizations, as part of this program.
    "The best way to protect children from crash-related injuries, as well as
from the risks that air bags may pose, is to properly restrain them.
Tragically, more than half of children killed in vehicle crashes in 1998 were
totally unrestrained.  We believe our curriculum, and maybe even some of these
booster seats, will save children's lives," said Cischke.
    "The Back Is Where It's At" is designed to convince children that it is
"cool" to sit in the back seat.  The complete package includes an
instructional video, teacher's guide, wall poster, and a take home pledge to
help parents better understand air bag safety.  Families are encouraged to
sign "pledges" and promise that their children buckle-up in the back seat.  A
nationwide poster contest will award grand and regional prizes at two levels:
grades K-3, and grades 4-6.  One grand prize winner at each level will receive
a personal computer, and his/her school will receive $2,000 worth of books for
the school library and a class pizza party.
    DaimlerChrysler Corporation and Lifetime Learning Systems of Stamford,
Conn., developed the program with guidance from safety experts and educators.
    "The Back Is Where It's At" is one of several DaimlerChrysler Corporation
safety initiatives.  Other safety programs include Fit for a Kid -- a
$10 million dealer-based child safety seat inspection service,  the Neon Drunk
Driving Simulator, Do the Buckle, and Stop Red Light Running.  DaimlerChrysler
also is a partner in the Air Bag & Safety Belt Safety Campaign.

    Always wear your seat belt.
    Children under 12 should be properly restrained in the back seat.