HARRISBURG – To show the importance of keeping children properly restrained in a vehicle, the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute drove a car carrying three crash test dummies into a wall today.
The event, sponsored by the State College-based group and PennDOT, marked the statewide kickoff of National Child Passenger Safety Week.
“The demonstration showed why it’s important to buckle up our children when they ride in a vehicle,” said Craig Reed, director of PennDOT’s Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering. “Just as importantly, buckling up is the law.”
Pennsylvania law requires children under four to be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat. Children ages 4-7 must be in a booster seat and children ages 8-17 must wear a seat belt regardless of where they sit in a vehicle.
The crash test dummies represented one adult and one child who were properly restrained, and one child who was not buckled up. The test, which was conducted in a car traveling at 35 mph, showed what happens in an accident and what police and emergency personnel often find when responding to crash scenes.
“Far too often, troopers see children injured or killed because they were not properly buckled up,” said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Dave McGarvey.
“We are committed to this coordinated effort and encourage parents and guardians to visit one of our free safety seat checkpoints so they will know their child is properly restrained.”
According to PennDOT, in 2005:
• Two children between the ages of 4 and 7 who were completely unrestrained died in crashes in Pennsylvania, and another 167 were injured; • 891 children under the age of 8 who were not properly restrained in a car seat suffered injuries; and
• 149 children ages 3 and under were injured in crashes while not in a car seat.
Information about local child seat checks can be obtained by calling the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project, which is funded by PennDOT, at 1-800-CAR-BELT.