As one of the nation's leading community solutions providers, United Way is proud to serve as a Boost America! partner.

United Way of America
Monday, 30 April 2001

Washington, DC—Citing a new 50-state survey that found that the majority of all parents and caregivers are not taking the proper action to protect four-to-eight-year old children in motor vehicles, Ford Motor Company today launched the largest child passenger safety program in automotive history—a $30 million commitment this year—to shift attitudes and behavior in favor of better protection for child passengers through increased booster seat use.

The multi-faceted campaign includes a massive educational component featuring a video by superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, an endorsement from Nickelodeon's "Blues Clues," distribution of one million booster seats through United Way agencies and Ford Motor Company dealers through Toys "R" Us, educational events in all 50 states over the next 12 months, and a push for new state booster seat laws. In addition to the celebrities, federal and state governments and numerous safety groups are joining Ford Motor Company to increase the use of booster seats among four-to-eight year olds.

At the national kick-off event at Anthony Bowen Elementary School in Washington, DC, Ford Motor Company President and CEO Jacques Nasser said, "As many as three out of four parents probably are using the wrong safety device for older children, including placing them in adult safety belts that do not protect them properly. That's an alarming number. We are committed to doing everything we can to encourage the safety of all our passengers." The Boost America! program was initiated to help parents and caregivers of children between the ages of four and eight understand the importance of using belt-positioning booster seats and to increase the use of these seats nationwide.

Joined by supporters representing federal and state governments, the nation's leading highway safety and child welfare organizations, and hundreds of youngsters of booster seat age, Nasser said, "Today we shift our coast-to-coast Boost America! campaign into overdrive. Our goal is to make sure that every child weighing 40-80 pounds rides in a booster seat so they will have the best protection available should a crash occur."

The research, the most extensive survey of booster seats ever conducted, found that most parents and caregivers (96%) are conscientious about ensuring that children ride safely, reporting that their children ride with a safety belt or safety seat "of some type." But the survey also found that up to 79 percent are misinformed about the correct safety device to use for children of different ages. While 88 percent of parents and caregivers say they have heard or read about booster seats, only 21 percent are using them for their children. Wirthlin Worldwide conducted the 50-state survey in December 2000-January 2001. Nearly 12,000 parents and caregivers were interviewed.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said, "We are pleased to partner with Ford in Boost America!, and to work with the many other organizations joining the effort to make booster seat use the standard rather than the exception. Children are our most important responsibility, and no child should be injured or killed because a parent or caregiver did not get the message about the need for booster seats."

Superstar singer and actor Will Smith, of "Men in Black" and "Independence Day" fame, together with his wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, are helping the campaign. They taped an educational video to convince elementary school children to ride in booster seats. The animated character, "Blue," of Nickelodeon's hit television show, Blue's Clues, will take the message to pre-school children.

"As parents ourselves, we want to lend our support and talk with kids and parents all across the country about how booster seats are the cool way to stay safe in the family car or truck," Jada Pinkett Smith said. The Smiths have three young children.

Nationally-known booster seat advocate Autumn Alexander Skeen of Walla Walla, Washington, lost her son, Anton, because he was using an adult safety belt instead of a booster seat. "It has been said that 'if only' are the two saddest words a human can say. No truer words are these as far as my life is concerned. If only I hadn't overcorrected that vehicle that day. If only Anton would've been in a booster seat. It's bad enough to lose your child to death when there was nothing you could do. But believe me, it is a bottomless anguish when help was out there, and you didn't have it."

The safety rationale for booster seats is that a child who has outgrown the age and weight recommendations for traditional child safety seats (infant and toddler models) needs a transition until big enough physiologically to use adult lap/shoulder belts. Booster seats raise the child up in the seat so adult safety belts fit them better and more comfortably—low across the hips and snugly across the chest. Parents report an added benefit: the child can see out of the window better.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and injury to our children. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that more than 500 children age four to eight are killed every year in motor vehicle crashes.

Boost America! will put one million booster seats into use over the next 12 months and hold campaign events in all 50 states. An unusual combination of educational and communications components, and the collective efforts of the campaign's many partner organizations, will work to convince youngsters, and their parents or caregivers, that booster seats are not just a safety necessity, but the "cool" way to ride.

"We want to jumpstart the market for booster seats by providing a total of one million free seats to Ford customers and families in need. In particular, we want to be sure that those families who cannot afford to purchase this life-saving device will still have the opportunity to get one," Nasser said. Five hundred thousand seats will go to the neediest families through United Way agencies around the country. The remainder will go to Ford Motor Company customers who will receive a voucher from participating Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mazda dealers that can be redeemed for a booster seat at a Toys "R" Us store. Vouchers will be arriving at Ford dealerships this week.

Elinor Johnstone Ferdon, Chair-elect of the United Way of America Board of Governors said, "As one of the nation's leading community solutions providers, United Way is always looking to help people. Through partnerships with generous corporations like Ford Motor Company, United Way is better able to reach people with the services they need."

Toys "R" Us CEO John Eyler said, "We are incredibly pleased to participate in this important campaign to promote booster seat safety. Our mission at Toys "R" Us is to improve the lives of children everywhere, and this initiative will go a long way in doing just that."

Nasser said that children will be taught safety in the classroom through a massive education program. A professionally developed Boost America! educational curriculum already has been sent to 152,000 elementary schools and pre-schools. The Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith video is included in the elementary school version of the curriculum, and "Blue" appears in the pre-school materials. Also included is a lesson plan and other materials to help teachers explain auto safety to children in an entertaining, age-appropriate way, and a take-home component so parents or other caregivers can be involved in their child's learning experience.

Ford Motor Company today also announced that it would push for new state booster seat laws similar to those for infant seats. "While education has gone a long way to increase child seat use, we know from discussions with our government and safety partners that state laws are an important element," said Nasser. "Ford Motor Company will work with state governments to implement sensible booster seat legislation. Currently, only three states – Washington, California, and Arkansas – have booster seat laws.

The Wirthlin data are broken down by states (attached), so local officials can benchmark their efforts and track progress. Other key findings:

- Nationally, 88 percent have heard or read about booster seats, but reported usage was only 21 percent. "Too big" is the leading reason cited by parents for not using a booster seat.

- Nearly three-quarters (71%) mistakenly believe it is safe to place children under age eight in a vehicle with just a regular safety belt. Four percent don't know when it is safe.

- Women are somewhat more likely than men to be aware of booster seats and have their children ride in them.

- Among ethnic minorities, African-Americans are somewhat more likely to have heard about booster seats. But the children of all ethnic minorities are less likely to be riding in a booster seat.

- Higher levels of income and education correlate with greater booster seat awareness and usage.

- The best reports of booster seat usage by their children come from younger women (18- 34 years) and wealthier women ($80,000 or more).

The Evenflo Rightfit and Graco-Century Breverra Contour Sport models were selected for the campaign because they offer child passengers a good combination of comfort and belt fit. The Breverra Contour Sport is not available in stores—it was developed specifically for the United Way low-income portion of the Boost America! campaign.

Both models position the vehicle's lap/shoulder belts to improve belt fit—low across the hips and thighs, and across the chest and shoulder. The Rightfit is a backless booster designed to be used in vehicles with a taller rear seat back that comes above the child's ears. The Breverra Contour Sport model has an integral high back to provide head protection in vehicles with shorter rear seat backs, or without head restraints.

In addition to distributing booster seats, Ford Motor Company is building relationships with states to run fitting clinics, and to certify additional child passenger safety seat technicians to provide instruction on how to install and use all child safety seats.

Key to Ford Motor Company's effort will be its partnerships with respected and influential national organizations that will help with the campaign. In addition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these organizations also are part of the campaign: AAA; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Trauma Society; Emergency Nurses CARE; Evenflo; Graco-Century; Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau; Hertz Corporation; Indian Health Service; International Association of Chiefs of Police; International Center for Injury Prevention; National Association of Governors' Highway Safety Representatives; National Association of Police Organizations; National Association of School Nurses; National Association of School Resource Officers; National Fire Protection Association; National Urban League; Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues; The Society of Automotive Engineers; State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association; Toys "R" Us; and United Way of America.

Additional information on Boost America! is available at the campaign's website: www.boostamerica.org. Private schools, day care providers, civic groups and others that would like to obtain elements of the Boost America! educational package can download it from that site.

For more information, or to contact United Way of America, see their website at: www.unitedway.org