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Home > Home Insurance News > Auto Crashes Hit Close to Home for Parents and Their Children
Auto Crashes Hit Close to Home for Parents and Their Children
State Farm, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Release First Child Passenger Safety Fact & Trend Report
Bloomington, IL, October 19, 2005 -- Stop if this fact-based story sounds familiar…It's a run-of-the-mill Saturday morning for the Smith family. Mom buckles 7-year-old Billy in the front seat of the family car, thinking: "why bother with his booster seat to simply go to the local market?" This can be a common Saturday scenario for thousands of American families…and so can the automobile collision that may occur.
The first Partners for Child Passenger Safety Fact and Trend Report, released today, presents recent child passenger safety findings from an ongoing research collaboration between The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Companies®. The report, based on confidential interviews provided by State Farm customers, unearths a startling fact: most motor vehicle crashes that involve children happen where parents feel safest -- during everyday routines on local roads.
"Everyone has seen horrific highway crashes on the local evening news, but few may consider the simple fact that the majority of crashes involving children occur on local roads and in parking lots," states Flaura Winston, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of the Children's Hospital/State Farm report. "Parents must remain vigilant about child passenger safety at all times, using age-appropriate seating and restraints for children 12 and younger. No one is immune from a car crash."
Crash Course on Auto Accidents Involving Children
Motor vehicle crashes can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere. Tapping into the largest source of data on children in motor vehicle crashes, the PCPS Fact and Trend Report identifies characteristics of crashes involving children. Did you know:
Eighty percent of crashes took place 20 minutes or less from home
Nearly three out of four crashes (73 percent) happen between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
More than half of crashes occur at speeds less than 45 MPH
Only 35 percent of crashes took place at an intersection
While motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of children older than age one in the United States, parents can take precautionary, life-saving measures to ensure safe transport of their children. Following the guidelines for age- and size-appropriate restraint can reduce the risk of serious injury by more than three times, according to previously published research from PCPS. And, the combination of rear seating (children age 12 and younger) and restraint use reduces the risk of injury to less than two percent.
"The PCPS Fact and Trend Report serves as a stark reminder that motor vehicle crashes do happen under common and familiar conditions, giving us reasons to constantly put into practice our knowledge of age-appropriate seating and restraints," says Susan Hood, vice president of claims, State Farm. "Parents must act daily to protect their child, meaning it's their responsibility to guarantee their child's safety for every car ride. It could save a child's life. It could save their child's life."
About Partners for Child Passenger Safety
Partners for Child Passenger Safety is a research collaboration between The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm. As of February 2005, PCPS has created a database containing information on more than 377,000 crashes involving more than 557,000 children from birth through age 15 years. It is the largest source of data on children in motor vehicle crashes.
About State Farm®
State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 76,000 employees serve nearly 73 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada. State Farm also offers financial services products. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 18 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies.
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric health care professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking second in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents.
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