Jacksonville, Florida, February 12, 2007 -- Child Passenger Safety Week 2007 will focus on safety for young "tweens" (children ages eight to 10) in and around cars. Safe Kids Northeast Florida/Wolfson Children's Hospital will host a safety fair at Nimnicht Chevrolet, 10 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, February 17. The event will feature the local premiere of a safety song by hip-hop group Slum Village, as well as hands-on activities and interactive Web content to bring vital safety messages home to tweens.

Child Passenger Safety Week has usually focused on the correct use of car seats for babies and toddlers, and car seat use is up in this age group. This year, safety messages will be aimed at an age group often neglected in child passenger safety outreach.

"We've always designed our safety messages for parents and caregivers, but older kids need to be developing their own safety habits as they become more independent," says Cynthia Dennis, RN, coordinator of Safe Kids Northeast Florida.

"Most children ages eight to 10 should be riding on a booster seat for the best protection in a crash," states Dennis. "Children in this age group are among the least likely to be in the correct restraint. We need to make booster seat use among tweens just as automatic as it is for small children to ride in car seats."

Safe Kids Northeast Florida, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends that kids who have outgrown car seats ride on booster seats until they are about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and 80-100 pounds. Most children reach this height and weight between ages eight and 12. Safe Kids Worldwide has developed the Safety Belt Fit Test as an easy way for parents to determine when the adult safety belt in their vehicle provides optimal protection for their child in the event of a crash.

"The idea of sitting on a booster seat when you're in fifth or sixth grade is a hard sell -- we realize that," says Lorrie Walker, child passenger safety technical advisor for Safe Kids Worldwide. "But we've looked at the science and know that it's worth the effort to change people's attitudes toward booster seats. They prevent injuries and save lives every day."

To help make booster seats and safety belts more appealing to this critical age group, Safe Kids and Chevrolet have commissioned a safety rap by the Detroit-area recording duo Slum Village entitled "4 Steps" with a refrain of "Sit, pull, cross, click!" The song will remind kids to be safe in and around vehicles and will make its local debut at the safety fair at Nimnicht Chevrolet.

"We want every family to drive off our lot safely, with kids of all ages buckled up in the appropriate restraints, and we're delighted to be able to bring in experts from Safe Kids Northeast Florida to give the community the best bottom-line advice about car seats and booster seats," says Scott Garman, sales manager of Nimnicht Chevrolet.

According to a new study released this week by Safe Kids Worldwide, car seat checkups provided by Safe Kids coalitions have been very effective in teaching parents important safety skills. But the research also showed safety advocates need to do a better job of getting their message and hands-on training to families in underserved communities. With a redesigned outreach program and a grant from Safe Kids Worldwide funded by Chevrolet/General Motors, Safe Kids Northeast Florida is working closely with area Cub Scout and Girl Scout organizations to deliver safety messages to families. Interactive exhibits at Nimnicht Chevrolet will teach tweens and their caregivers about proper use of booster seats and safety belts, the dangers of trunk entrapment and heatstroke in parked cars, and the hazardous blind spots around vehicles. Activities will include:

Safety Belt Fit Test
Children who have outgrown the height and weight limits for a car seat should use a booster seat until they are approximately 4 feet, 9 inches tall and 80-100 pounds. Nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will teach parents and tweens how to perform the Safety Belt Fit Test to determine when a growing child is ready to move from a booster seat to an adult safety belt. In a recent demonstration, 30 Cub Scouts ages 7-10 took the Safety Belt Fit Test and only four could sit properly in adult safety belts without a booster seat.

Trunk Escape
Children will be taught that trunks are for cargo and are not safe places to play. All new vehicles since 2001 are equipped with a glow-in-the-dark release handle inside the trunk. Parents and kids will learn the importance of staying out of trunks, and kids will learn how to find the release handle. They will also learn to keep keys and keyless entry devices out of reach of children.

Never Leave Your Child Alone
Based on data collected by San Francisco State University, it is estimated that at least 30 children per year die of heat-related illness after being left alone in a parked car or getting into a parked car without supervision and becoming trapped. Even in mild weather, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly reach levels that are dangerous to young children -- an effect we will demonstrate with digital thermometers inside and outside the vehicle. After seeing this demonstration, parents will understand why they can never leave a child alone in or around a car.

Spot the Tot
Nearly 2,500 children per year go to the emergency room after being struck by a vehicle in a driveway or parking lot. Parents will learn to walk all the way around the vehicle to look for kids before getting in -- and to keep toys and pets out of the driveway so children aren't tempted to play in that area. In this demonstration, adults sit in a driver's seat and kids line up behind the vehicle; the driver is usually amazed to see how many kids lined up behind the vehicle were not visible. Kids will learn to remind adults of the importance of doing a "walk around" before getting in the vehicle.

Caregivers and children who participate together in Child Passenger Safety Week events in February will be eligible to win prizes if they visit Safe Kids and demonstrate their improved safety skills in an online game.

Safe Kids Northeast Florida and other agencies provide car seat inspections and Safety Belt Fit Test assistance throughout the year as well. To find an inspection site or certified technician near you, log onto Safe Kids Northeast Florida .

Visit www.usa.safekids.org/skbu for more information about child safety in and around cars.

Nimnicht Chevrolet is at 1550 Cassat Avenue, Jacksonville.

Click here to find an inspection site or certified technician in the Jacksonville area.