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DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com |
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Traffic accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 12 in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To help keep families safe this holiday season and year round, NHTSA has teamed up with the animated, preschool television show “Chuggington” to launch the national “Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!” campaign. The program offers free resources to help parents and kids learn important safety lessons from engaging characters and take a safety pledge online to earn a traffic safety badge. Here are some traffic safety tips for you and your children to remember. Car Safety Everyone should use seat belts, and children should always be in a properly fitted car seat. Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size that fits in your vehicle. Keep your child in the car seat as long as they are within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements and in the back seat until age 12. While winter clothes keep your child warm, they can also interfere with the proper harness fit of your child in the car seat. Make sure to place blankets around your child after you fasten the harness. The holidays are a busy time at shopping malls -- especially parking lots. Drivers should be on alert for small children when reversing out of a parking space. And don’t leave children unattended near an open trunk, where they can get trapped. School Bus Safety During the holiday season, children may become more rambunctious on the way home from school. Parents should take the time to emphasize year-round rules, like facing forward and obeying the school bus driver. Children should always wait with an adult at the school bus stop. When disembarking, instruct children to take five giant steps away from the school bus. Then look left, right, and left again before crossing the street. Bike Safety Parents and children should always wear their properly fitted bike helmets. Helmets should sit low across the forehead with no more than two finger-widths above the eyebrow, and the chin strap should be buckled snugly. In low-light conditions, make sure that you and your children wear brightly colored clothing and reflective materials. Everyone’s bike should be equipped with a white front light and a red rear light. Children should ride with an adult on bike paths or on the sidewalk -- never in the street. More tips and activities can be found at www.chuggington.com/safety. By engaging your children in safety activities and games, you give them the knowledge and lifelong tools to help them stay safe this holiday season and beyond. © Copyright 2011 by DoorCountyTravelersJournal.com
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