KANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR
Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary

Making Holiday Travel a Safe Trip

Holiday travel with children brings new meaning to the term "road trip." Often it seems that the whole world is on holiday travel as you wait in endless airport lines or drive in heavy traffic. Amidst the chaos of holiday travel, it is important for parents to make safety a priority.

"Parents may become so overwhelmed with planning their trip and preparing for the holidays that they overlook basic travel safety rules," said Jan Stegelman of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "Parents and caregivers should put safety at the top of their list when preparing for a trip -- whether it's two minutes down the road or 2,000 miles across the country."

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition has compiled the following information to help keep children safe while traveling:

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. In 1996, nearly 1,800 children ages 14 and under died and in 1997 an estimated 305,000 were injured as occupants in motor vehicles. The correct use of child safety seats is extremely effective, reducing the risk of death by 71 percent for children under age 1 and 54 percent for children ages 1 to 4.

• Never allow a child to ride unrestrained in your car. In the event of a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed.
• Properly restrain children ages 12 and under in the back seat. It is the safest place to ride.
• Obtain and correctly install a child safety seat in your motor vehicle. If you cannot afford a child safety seat, inquire about a discount, loaner or giveaway program through a hospital, health department, police department or social service agency.
• Use a safe seat. Make sure it has not been recalled. To find out if a seat has been recalled, contact the seat manufacturer or the Auto Safety hotline at (888) 327-4236. Never use a child safety seat that has been involved in a crash or one bought second hand. Even if it looks intact, it may be structurally damaged. Also, be sure to check the manufacture date for the child safety seat. Seats manufactured before January 1, 1981, were not required to pass a dynamic crash test and may not protect a child.
• Secure your child correctly in the appropriate child safety seat or safety belt every time he or she rides in the vehicle. Infant-only seats and convertible seats should be used in a rear-facing position for infants until they are at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. The convertible seat should be turned to a forward-facing position for children over 1 year old and 20 pounds to 40 pounds (approximately 4 years old).
• Children need to be in booster seats when they weigh between approximately 40 and 80 pounds, and are about 4 to 8 years old. A booster seat protects a child from serious spinal cord and internal injuries caused by an incorrect safety belt fit. Children who have outgrown booster seats should use a lap and shoulder belt. Ensure that the lap belt fits across the child's hips and does not ride up across the stomach. The child's back should be against the seat back and knees should bend comfortably over the edge of the seat. The shoulder belt should fit across the chest without touching the face or neck.
• Make sure that the child safety seat is compatible with the automobile(s) in which it is used. Study the child safety seat and automobile owner's manuals for proper installation and ensure the child safety seat fits snugly in the car. When purchasing the child safety seat, ask the store manager if you can try out different models before making a purchase. If purchasing a new vehicle, make sure you test your child's car seat in the rear seating positions before buying.
• Never use pillows or cushions to boost your child. If the car is hit, the pillow may cause the child to slide under and out of the safety belt.
• Never put luggage or other hard objects on the back window shelf of the vehicle. In the event of a sudden stop, the items could become airborne and hit passengers.

• The back seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride.
• Infants should never sit in the front seat of a car with a passenger-side air bag. The back of a rear-facing infant or convertible seat rests too close to the air bag cover. Air bags deploy rapidly with intense force, and close or direct contact with the air bag or its cover may cause serious or fatal injuries to the infant.

If it is absolutely necessary for a child to ride in the front seat of a car with a passenger-side airbag:

• Secure the child in a restraint system that is correct for the size of the child -- a front-facing child safety seat, a booster seat or a lap/shoulder belt.
• Move the front seat as far back from the dashboard as possible.
• Make sure the harness is snugly fastened.
• Never allow a child to lean forward toward the dashboard.

Airlines require luggage and carry-on items to be secured on flights. Adults must use safety belts, and infants and young children should be properly restrained as well. Any child under 40 pounds should be restrained in a child safety seat while flying. Turbulence during flights is common and can be dangerous.

• When you make your reservations, tell the airline that you are traveling with a child. Buy a ticket for your child. Most airlines offer half-price tickets for children ages 2 and under.
• Make sure your child/infant safety seat is certified for use on an aircraft and that the width does not exceed 16 inches.
• Restrain children over 40 pounds in safety belts throughout the flight.
• Plan activities during the flight in 10-minute segments. That is the approximate length of the average child's attention span. Plan extra activities to cover delays and time on the ground.

Whether traveling on the road or in the air during the holidays, it is important to keep children safe. Following these simple guidelines can help ensure a pleasant and safe family trip. To make sure children are properly secured, parents and caregivers can get a free copy of the SAFE KIDS BUCKLE UP^SM brochure by calling (800) 441-1888.

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, Inc. is a nonprofit group of 60 statewide organizations and businesses that have joined to protect Kansas children from unintentional injury-- the leading killer of Kansas kids. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Wichita, Lawrence, Johnson County, Salina, Barber County, Topeka, Ford County, Manhattan, Hutchinson, Pottawatomie County, and Clay County. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.