National Child Passenger Safety Week is an excellent opportunity to generate interest in and enthusiasm for local programs and policies that help protect our youngest residents when they travel by car, bicycle and school bus, or as pedestrians. All parents and caregivers must be responsible for the safe transportation of children, and everyone should be responsible for seeing that policies are in place and laws are enforced to protect children when they travel.

We've come a long way in the past two decades. Parents today most likely did not grow up using a child safety seat or a bike helmet and probably not even a seat belt. Yet these parents of young children today understand that these protections may save their kids' lives.

With the help of local highway safety activists like you, we've done a good job of communicating the buckle up message across all age groups. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts a bi-annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS). The 1998 survey showed that:

• Restraint use among infants less than one year old is up to 93 percent (from 85.2 percent in 1996).
• Restraint use among toddlers ages 1-4 increased dramatically to 87 percent (from 60.1 percent in 1996).
• Restraint use among youth ages 5-15 increased to 68.7 percent (from 64.6 percent in 1996).

Other NHTSA research points to other positive trends
concerning children. In 1998, fatalities for children ages 0-4 were down 12 percent, and fewer children died or were injured as passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists and school bus riders than in the previous year (see Traffic Safety Facts 1998 for additional details). In April 1997, the President set a goal to reduce child passenger fatalities 15 percent by 2000 and 25 percent by 2005. So far, the progress has been good - by 1998 child motor vehicle fatalities were down 12.3 percent from the 1997 figure, so the first goal is within reach.

But the tragic facts remain: motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all children ages 5-15 (as well as for older teens and young adults), and more than half of the children who die in motor vehicle crashes are unbuckled or not properly restrained.

Why is this happening? Some parents have not established seat belt and child safety seat use as an "every day, every ride" habit. Others just aren't using child safety seats and seat belts correctly. Some get lax as their children get older, and some older children aren't buckling up when they are driving or riding with other teens. As pedestrians and bicyclists, our children are not always taught the safety rules of the road. Far too few children wear bicycle helmets regularly. And our teens who may have grown up with good safety habits tend to abandon them when riding with friends.

Those in the highway safety community, along with our partners in the public and private sectors, must continue to emphasize all aspects of child passenger safety every day of the year, and especially during National Child Passenger Safety Week.

This activities guide is designed to give you ideas and suggestions for events and activities that you can do in your community. It also suggests local partners to work with - especially organizations that are already working with children and children's issues - and also shares some success stories from others who've been working hard to help kids stay safe. Each day of National Child Passenger Safety Week has a different theme. You can pick just one or try a different activity each day.

Sunday, February 13th:
Kick Off Event

Monday, February 14th:
Buckle Up Your Valentine

Tuesday, February 15th:
School Bus Safety

Wednesday, February 16th:
Pedestrian Safety

Thursday, February 17th:
Kids Aren't Cargo

Friday, February 18th:
Bicycle Safety

Saturday, February 19th:
Child Safety Seat Checkpoint Day

In addition, we've highlighted what's new in child passenger safety in the past year and explained how to get additional information, including consumer information you can distribute to your constituents. Be sure to check out Program Publications for Planner 21, also included in this Campaign Safe & Sober folder, for ordering information for NHTSA publications and materials that may help you plan your National Child Passenger Safety Week activities and events. Also look at State and Local Resources for information on who else in your state may be planning events or could help you with your activities.