HUNTERSVILLE– The NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program joined the Department of Insurance, Safe Kids NC, and several local agencies to co-host a child passenger safety clinic at the Huntersville Police Department this morning.
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed September 16 through 21 ‘Child Passenger Safety Week.’ Every year in North Carolina, nearly 200 children die from accidental injuries and another 45,000 visit a doctor's office for treatment of such injuries, according to Safe Kids North Carolina whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.
“The use of child passenger safety restraints is shown to be highly effective,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program which funds efforts to reduce traffic crashes in North Carolina. “The proper use of a child passenger safety seat can reduce the risk of fatal injury by over 70 percent for infants, and 54 percent for toddlers. The key in that, though, is proper use – and many parents and caregivers are unknowingly using these devices incorrectly.”
Ezzell and others spoke at Monday’s clinic.
“According to the State Highway Patrol, 90 percent of children who die in traffic accidents either are not in a child safety seat, or not properly fitted in a safety seat,” echoed Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. “My message from the Department of Insurance is, we’re here to help.”
“We’re thankful for all that law enforcement does to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities, and I’m happy that we have great partners like the ones here at the Huntersville Police Department,” said Huntersville Police Chief Bence Hoyle. “We’re also very proud to represent all law enforcement agencies in the state that host these child passenger safety checks.”
The James family knows the importance of properly securing a child passenger seat from personal experience. Huntersville first responders showed them how to properly install and secure the seat several years ago, and it proved to be lifesaving after the family was involved in a crash in July.
“What the police department and the fire department did that day was fantastic as you would expect it to be, but what was so important was what the police department did beforehand,” said father Sam James. “It’s just a service that’s offered to us in this community that’s fantastic, and people really need to take advantage of it because it was so important that day to us.”