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A member of the National
Safe Kids Campaign
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SAFE KIDS Are No
Accident!
"If a disease were
killing our children at the rate unintentional injuries are, the
public would be outraged and demand that this killer be
stopped"
C.
Everett Koop, M.D.
Retired Chairman
National SAFE KIDS
Campaign |
What is the....
Arizona Safe Kids Coalition?
Arizona Safe Kids is a state-wide program dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injury for Arizona’s children under 15 years of age. Arizona Safe Kids is a member of the National Safe Kids Campaign. Local Safe Kids Coalitions throughout Arizona receive leadership and technical assistance from Arizona Safe Kids.
Why is this
program needed?
Childhood injuries remain the leading cause of death for Arizona’s children.
- 55 percent of preventable child deaths in Arizona in 2007 were due to unintentional injury (accidents) according to the Arizona Child Fatality Review Program
Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of injury.
- Only half of the child passengers who died in motor vehicle accidents in 2007 were using restraints. Just under one quarter were sitting in the right front passenger seat (Arizona Child Fatality Review Program)
- Over 10 percent of Arizona’s children ride unrestrained and more than 85 percent of child safety seats are installed, placed, or used incorrectly (Governors Office of Highway Safety)
- Child safety seats are 71 percent effective in reducing fatalities among infants (younger than 1 year old), 54 percent effective for toddlers (1 to 4 years old), and booster seats in children (4 to 8 years old) are 59 percent more effective than vehicle safety belts (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Suffocation is the second most common cause of injury.
- 25 children died as the result of unintentional suffocation in 2007. (Arizona Child Fatality Review Program)
Drowning is the third most common cause of injury.
- In 2007, the Arizona Child Fatality Review Board identified that 23 children (most between 1 and 4 years of age) died of preventable drowning accidents
- The most effective interventions to avoid drowning are focused adult supervision, four sided isolation fencing with self-closing/self-latching gate, and ability to swim by age 8 (National Safe Kids Campaign)
What are the
goals of the program?
Arizona Safe Kids’ mission is to reduce unintentional injuries to Arizona children by creating safer homes and communities through education and intervention.
Community assessments and action plans are developed each year, providing detailed strategies to reduce childhood injury in communities across Arizona.
What has the
program achieved?
In Arizona, there are five local Safe Kids Coalitions, one local chapter, and the Arizona State Coalition. Educational materials, assistance in creating new coalitions, and other injury prevention strategies for communities are available from the Arizona Safe Kids Coalition.
Local Coalition accomplishments include regular car seat testing events, a permanent car seat testing site, child passenger safety (CPS) technician certification and development of resource materials for public education.
Follow the links below to learn more about Safe Kids and the local coalitions.
Fact Sheets:
Need more
information?
Tomi St. Mars, RN, BSN, CEN,
Program Manager
150 N. 18th Ave., Suite 320
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: (602) 542-7340
Fax: (602) 364-7340
Email: stmarst@azdhs.gov
Additional
Website Links:
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