South Carolina has seen a decline in the number of traffic deaths. As of Sept. 21, the toll is down from 786 a year ago at this time to 665 in 2008.
It’s hard to call the deaths of more than two people a day on the state’s highways good news, but when considering the toll has averaged over three in some years, the change is noteworthy.
Use of seat belts by drivers and stricter enforcement of traffic laws are cited as reasons for the improvement. There is a need for continued vigilance.
Not to be forgotten in the push to get adults to be safe drivers is the requirement that children receive special attention in the travel process.
During National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 21-27, the S.C. Department of Public Safety is putting emphasis on protecting children.
South Carolina long has had a primary law requiring that kids be belted in child safety seats or appropriate booster seats. Correct usage of the seats is essential, with organizations such as Safe Kids locally educating parents on child safety essentials. Belting a child who is too small into an adult safety belt is removing the safety cushion that personal restraint provides.
“Parents and other drivers responsible for transporting children need to know the facts to ensure that all children travel safely on our roadways every day,” said Phil Riley, director of the Office of Highway Safety of SCDPS. “While Child Passenger Safety Week puts a spotlight on this important issue, parents need to know that they can get help any time of year.”
For maximum child passenger safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that parents and caregivers refer to the following “4 Steps for Kids” guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:
* For the best possible protection, keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
* When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
Important, too, is the consistent use of safety restraints. Just as adults often use the excuse that they are simply going “down the street” or “driving uptown” for not belting for a short trip, they are guilty of not belting children for the same reason.
The numbers reveal how deadly that can be. Nationally, motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of children ages 4 to 14.
Research indicates 80 percent of car crashes involving children occur within 20 minutes of home, many during short drives to school or the grocery store in which parents fail to use child safety seats. More than half of crashes involving children are at speeds under 45 mph, and nearly half occur on local roads or in parking lots.
The weekly report from SCDPS provides details about the traffic toll in the state. It does not tell a story of victims’ ages. That research is done and provided primarily on an annual basis. With South Carolina’s overall numbers going down, let’s hope the same is the case with the numbers of children killed and injured. Proper use of safety seats and restraints is essential if it is to be so.