To riase the awareness of the importance of the safety of child passengers, the third week of September has been declared as Child Passenger Safety Week for all the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States territories—areas that have enacted laws requiring the use of child passenger safety systems.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial yesterday signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 20, 2008 as CNMI National Seat Check Saturday, and Sept. 21-27, 2008 as National Child Passenger Safety Week.
According to his proclamation, “the National Seat Check Saturday and the Child Passenger Safety Week provide an opportunity for communities and organizations to join together through public information, education, and enforcement efforts to work toward the correct use of safety seats and booster seats. This is done through focusing public attention on the benefits of saving lives that would make a significant reduction in deaths and serious injuries to children in the CNMI.”
The proclamation stated that in 2006, an average of five children and 14 children were killed while 640 children were injured in motor vehicle crashes every day.
Studies conducted at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia showed children ages 4-7 who use booster seats are 59 percent less likely to be injured in car crashes that children who are restrained only by seatbelts, the proclamation stated.
