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Hidden dangers in your car." __Good Housekeeping__ 239.2 (Aug. 2004): 82-82. __MasterFILE Premier__. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Mar. 2009 .
 * Title:**//Hidden dangers in your car. Good Housekeeping, 0017209X, Aug2004, Vol. 239, Issue 2 //**Database:**//MasterFILE Premier//

**Contents**
**Section:** TESTING TESTING!  Your dog may be the absolute cutest--but in a 30-mph collision, he'll fly forward at a force 20 times greater than his weight, striking any family member in his path. "Anything unrestrained in your car can become a missile," says Sean Kane, a partner at the research firm Strategic Safety. The risk may be even greater if you're driving a hatchback, a minivan, an SUV, or another vehicle with an open storage area in the back. In 2001, an estimated 13,000 people were injured by loose items in trunk-free autos. Practically speaking, how can you secure the many items that are rattling around in your car? The experts at the GH Institute found and tested various devices that can help you with the task. **[|PET CARRIERS]** Testers took canines for a ride to find dog **//seat//** **//belts//** that really work. If your pooch is petite, the Cozy Car-Go ($60) is your best bet. It attaches to the headrest, keeping Fido in place while giving him enough leeway to be comfortable. If your dog weighs more than 35 pounds, try the Champion Canine **//Seat//** Belt System ($40), which straps around the animal's chest and back and clips easily onto **//seat//** **//belts//**. The nylon webbing is water-resistant, so the harness can secure your pet on a boat too. **[|AUTO ORGANIZERS]** We piled groceries, jumper cables, sports equipment, and plenty of other items into suitcase-like containers designed especially for the car. Our favorite: the Coleman Trunk Organizer ($34.99, below). Made of strong but soft polyester, the case can be folded to half its size when not in use, so it's easy to store. The organizer is also big enough to hold five soccer balls and has adjustable interior compartments to keep items orderly. Plus, after we loaded it up, the Coleman stayed put during our road test, which included plenty of sharp turns and short stops. If you plan to use the Coleman (or any organizer) in the open storage area of a trunkless vehicle, you'll need to take extra precautions to prevent the case itself from becoming airborne during a crash. GHI engineers recommend securing containers to the sides of the car's interior using tie-down straps that are designed for use in autos. One caveat: Few manufacturers of trunk organizers or pet and cargo restraints crash-test their products, so there is no way to know what will happen to those items if you're in a collision. PHOTO (COLOR): Hound hazard: Your pet could he thrown about and injure you or the kids. PHOTO (COLOR): Keep random items secure and tidy with this cargo carrier from Coleman.
 * 1) [|PET CARRIERS]
 * 2) [|AUTO ORGANIZERS]
 * In a crash, flying objects can really hurt you. How to stay safe.**

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"Dangers Of Switching To Seat Belts Too Soon." __Pediatric Alert__ 25.11 (08 June 2000): 63. __MasterFILE Premier__. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Mar. 2009 .
 * Title:**//Dangers Of Switching To Seat Belts Too Soon. Pediatric Alert, 01600184, 06/08/2000, Vol. 25, Issue 11 //**Database:**//MasterFILE Premier//

//DANGERS// **OF SWITCHING TO** //SEAT// //BELTS// **TOO SOON**
It's recommended that infant and convertible child safety seats be used for children under the age of four years, and that booster seats be used for children from age 4 until they fit properly in the vehicle **//seat//** belt (usually age 9). Still, many preschoolers are prematurely taken out of these child restraints and placed in **//seat//** **//belts//**. To assess possible risks from premature use of **//seat//** **//belts//**, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used data collected from insurance companies in l 5 states and the District of Columbia to study crashes involving 2077 children ages 2-5 years. The authors report that while 98% of these children had been restrained, 40% were restrained in **//seat//** **//belts//**. Compared to children in appropriate restraints, those in **//seat//** **//belts//** were 3.5 times more likely to sustain a significant injury, particularly involving the head. They conclude that "premature graduation of young children from child restraint systems to **//seat//** **//belts//** puts them at greatly increased risk of significant injury in crashes.... Results of this study support public health efforts directed toward ensuring appropriate restraint of children, particularly the use of belt-positioning booster seats by children who have outgrown child safety seats. "To reduce the risk of injury, children should remain in child restraint systems until they are at least four years old and weigh 40 pounds (18 kg), at which point children should be placed in belt-positioning booster seats. Children should remain in booster seats until they are the appropriate height and weight for **//seat//** **//belts//**." (Winston FK et al: Pediatrics, Jun 2000; 105:1179-1183)
 * COMMENT:** It wasn't that long ago that we would have been delighted to see 98% of children in crashes having been restrained by any device at all. But we know that while some restraint is better than none, appropriate restraint is better than "some"--in the case of the present study, appropriate restraint is 3.5 times better than **//seat//** **//belts//** for 2-5 year olds. pediatric practitioners can take much credit, through organized campaigns and direct anticipatory guidance, for the near universal use of child safety seats for infants. Now, it seems, it's time to direct that effort to assuring that parents recognize how important it is to make sure that for ages 4 to 9, it's booster seat time.

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David, A. "How safe is their school bus?." __Parenting__ 12.7 (Sep. 1998): 160. __MasterFILE Premier__. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Mar. 2009 .**Vancouver/ICMJE [[javascript:openWideTip('http://support.ebsco.com/help/?int=ehost&lang=en&feature_id=van');|Translate Full Text:Choose LanguageInglés/EspañolAnglais/FrançaisEnglisch/DeutschInglés/PortuguêsInglesi/ItalianoEngelsk/NorskАнглийский/Русский英语/简体中文英語/繁體中文 ==HTML Full Text== ==**HOW SAFE IS THEIR SCHOOL BUS?

=Contents === Section: **Smart Starts/Special Learning Section** What you need to know--and teach your kids Mile for mile, your child is seven times safer sitting on a school bus than she is riding in your family car. That's because school buses are bigger, heavier, and sit higher off the ground than most of the things they collide with. (The vast majority of deaths in school-bus crashes occur in the other vehicle.) The buses' unmistakable yellow coloring, flashing lights, and swing-out stop signs make them highly visible to motorists. Their drivers must earn commercial driver's licenses and, in most states, receive special safety training. Even smaller school buses, which are about the size of a passenger van, must meet rigorous federal standards for everything from fuel-tank protection to seating systems and emergency exits. While there are school-bus accidents--in an average year, several hundred children are seriously injured and about 35 are killed--these tragic numbers are small when measured against the fact that school buses log four billion miles each year. But despite this enviable record, school-bus safety could improve. The question, critics argue, isn't, How safe are school buses compared with other modes of transportation? but, Can school buses themselves be safer? And the answer is yes. **[|THE SEAT-BELT DEBATE] About 150 miles to the southwest, in a suburb of Baltimore, Darleen DiGirolamo performs the same ritual with her 8-year-old son, Matthew--except he's not donning a** //belt//**. His school bus, like most in the U.S., doesn't have any. There is no federal mandate currently requiring** //seat// **belts for full-size school buses (although lap belts are required on smaller-model buses, since they offer less crash protection than full-size ones). Only New Jersey and New York (plus a smattering of individual school districts in other states) require lap belts on newly purchased full-size buses; legislation is pending in California. The school-bus** //seat//**-**//belt// **debate is one of the longest-running, most emotional, and least understood controversies in child safety. School-transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials argue that, if worn incorrectly, one-piece lap belts--the only type currently available on school buses--can themselves cause abdominal or neck injuries in some crashes. They also feel the belts aren't necessary, because all buses are required by law to have seats that are tall, closely spaced, padded, and slightly flexible, and are designed to absorb crash forces and cushion riders. It's also been suggested that younger, less dexterous children might not be able to free themselves in an emergency. And,** //belt// **critics add, even if a federal mandate were to prevent some injuries, the number would be so small that the cost of installing the belts--about $1,500 per bus, plus maintenance--would be better spent on improving safety around the outside of the bus, where most fatalities occur (see "The** //Danger// **Zone," page 165).** //Belt// **advocates counter that while the current** //seat// **design may help protect kids in a frontal collision that jerks them directly into the** //seat// **in front of them, it's of little use if the bus is hit from the side or rolls over. (Estimates of how effective** //seat// **belts are in these and other crashes vary because, even with few belts in use, there are relatively few deaths or serious injuries inside school buses to study.) Advocates also argue that** //belt// **use in buses would boost their use in cars, where the mortality rate among unbuckled children remains high--a big reason the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and several other physician groups support mandating lap belts on newly purchased school buses. Other advocates have argued for a three-point** //belt// **system similar to lap-shoulder belts in cars, which even some lap-**//belt// **opponents concede could improve school-bus safety. But the chances of such a system being installed are slim, as it would require a complete redesign of the buses and seats used today, which would make it very costly. Since both sides agree that a three-point system is not currently the most practical option, bus manufacturers aren't likely to commit such sizable resources without a mandate from Washington. And without widespread pressure from parents, the federal government is unlikely to push for change. **[|THE VAN THREAT] According to an often-ignored federal law, these vans, which do not conform to federal requirements for school buses (they generally don't have emergency exits, extra mirrors, flashing lights, or stop-arms, and don't meet structural standards), cannot be sold by dealers to schools to transport children. The mandate doesn't cover after-school programs, daycare centers, or day camps, which also use these vans. To further complicate the issue, many states explicitly allow schools to use such vans, in direct contradiction to the federal ban on sales. Since these vans are sometimes painted yellow or fitted with flashing lights or other features to resemble federally approved school buses, the best way to tell if your child is on a school bus that meets federal safety standards is to look for a certification sticker on the doorjamb or the header above the windshield (usually on the driver's side) that identifies it as a school bus. Vans that aren't school buses will simply be labeled "bus" or will even explicitly warn "not a school bus." If you're not sure, ask the district official in charge of school transportation (your school should have his name). Although vans are tougher in crashes than passenger cars--like buses, they're bigger, heavier, and sit higher off the ground--they're nowhere near as safe as a full-size or smaller-model school bus. Just ask Lisa Strebler. Her 6-year-old son, Jacob, was killed in 1994 when a tractor trailer ran a red light and smashed into the side of the van in which he and eight of his Columbia, South Carolina, private-school classmates were riding. Accident-reconstruction experts hired by Strebler say they found what Strebler suspected: Had Jacob been in a school bus, he probably wouldn't have died. "His death was preventable," Strebler says. "It didn't just happen because someone ran a red light. It happened because he was on a van when he should have been on a bus." Strebler, who sued the trucking company, school, and van dealer and settled out of court, is using some of the settlement money to publicize her case against nonconforming passenger vans. She's already had an impact: The NHTSA, which for years had done little to enforce the ban on sales of such vans to schools, has recently begun to fine dealers who break the law. (Schools aren't technically liable since the mandate is written to make the sale, not use, of these vans illegal.) Strebler is urging parents to get involved. "If you know of a dealership selling vans to schools or of a van being used by a school, pick up the phone and call the NHTSA's auto-safety hot line at 800-424-9393," she says. "I want Jake to be the last child in America who dies in one of these vehicles." Entrusting your child to a school bus isn't easy. But it helps to keep in mind that with or without** //seat// **belts, school buses that meet federal regulations are still the safest way to transport children. And while the installation of** //seat// **belts on buses is certainly worth further consideration, parents should keep the matter in perspective with the other pressing issues that affect children's safety, from drunks on our roads to the matches on coffee tables to the guns in the closets. These** //dangers//**, which we can work individually and collectively to alleviate, pose a far greater threat to our children. **[|Protecting Preschool Riders] The fact is, most states don't have standards to ensure preschoolers' safety. (Only Vermont requires preschoolers to be buckled in a safety** //seat// **while riding in a small school bus.) Few of the estimated half million preschoolers who ride every day--to field trips, nursery schools, and daycare centers--do so in what's generally agreed to be the safest means for any child under 41 pounds: buckled in to a child safety restraint that's tethered to a school bus**//seat//**. Many other small children are transported in small buses with** //seat// **belts but no car seats, or in car seats aboard vans that aren't as safe as school buses. As a first step toward giving parents a clear guideline regarding the use of safety seats for prekindergarten children, NHTSA recently held its first-ever crash tests of child safety seats on school buses and is scheduled to issue a set of recommendations this fall. Among the suggestions: that children be secured properly in a child safety** //seat// **and that the** //seat// **itself be secured properly to the vehicle with a** //seat// //belt//**. Meanwhile, if your preschooler rides in a school bus, do the following:** **[|The Danger Zone] Despite safety innovations, such as wider-angle mirrors and stop signs that automatically swing out from the driver's window when the bus door opens, the** //danger// **zone continues to claim children's lives. Of 43 school bus-related child deaths in 1996, 15 occurred outside of the bus. Last February, Corey Mays, a kindergartner in Hickory, NC, was struck by his bus as his father watched in horror. The driver, who could neither see Corey in front of her bus nor hear the desperate shouts of onlookers over the roar of the engine and the noise on her bus, drove half a block before stopping. Corey never regained consciousness. To prevent tragedies like this, engineers continue to invent new safety devices. Some of the equipment being tested now: motion detectors and radar devices that can sense the presence of a moving object close to the bus; cameras that monitor blind spots outside the bus; a mechanical ten-foot "crossing control arm" mounted on the bus's front bumper that prevents kids from crossing where the driver can't see them; and a newly designed flat-front bus with the engine moved to the back that allows the driver to see small children near the front bumper. **[|Safety Tips To Teach Your Kids] While waiting, pay close attention and don't fool around with your friends. Wait until the bus has stopped and the door has opened before stepping off the curb. Always stay away from the wheels. Remember: Just because you can see the bus does not mean that the driver can see you. While riding the bus, stay seated, face forward, keep the aisles clear, and keep your head and arms inside the vehicle. Always obey the driver's instructions. Gather your belongings before you reach your school or stop. Use the handrail while exiting, and be careful of backpacks and other things that dangle. When you get off, take five giant steps away from the bus, out of the** //danger// **zone. Never run back to retrieve a forgotten item or to pick up something you've dropped near or under the bus. **[|How To Help Protect Your Child] Remove or cut off loose drawstrings hanging from your child's clothing or coat. Check her backpack for key chains and other dangling objects that might get caught in a door or handrail. Make a point of meeting your child's bus driver. Ask about emergency evacuation procedures and whether there's a fire extinguisher on board. Make sure your child carries a "contact in case of emergency" card with information about allergies and medications. (Even if the driver knows that information, a substitute may not.) Urge your school to set up bus-safety education classes for kids, including at least two evacuation drills per year. Consider organizing a local bus-safety program. In 1995, parents in Chappaqua, NY, working with their school district and bus company, fashioned a program that includes volunteer adult bus-stop monitors and year-round bus-safety education. Arrive five minutes before the bus is supposed to get there. Many children are injured as they run to catch up with a moving school bus. If your child has to meet the bus when it is dark or at dusk, have him wear bright or reflective clothing. PHOTO (COLOR): King of the road: Despite its old-fashioned, clunky look, a school bus is one of the safest ways to travel PHOTO (COLOR): Breaking bus rules is a dangerous don't; kids should learn to stay in their seats, face front, and keep the aisles clear 12362668401236266840 By David Ruben DAVID RUBEN is a contributing editor to PARENTING.**
 * 1) [|THE SEAT-BELT DEBATE]
 * 2) [|THE VAN THREAT]
 * 3) [|Protecting Preschool Riders]
 * 4) [|The Danger Zone]
 * 5) [|Safety Tips To Teach Your Kids]
 * 6) [|How To Help Protect Your Child]
 * This fall, more than half of all U.S. schoolchildren--some 23 million in all--will clamber aboard that growling, canary-colored icon of American education, the school bus. If your child is one of them, you'll be glad to know that school buses are the safest form of motorized transportation on the American road, bar none.
 * Every weekday morning, Angela Pisano watches from her porch as her two children--Gabriella, 7, and Christopher, 11--climb aboard the bus that will ferry them three miles to their Toms River, New Jersey, elementary school. She smiles as she sees them reach down to cinch their lap belts. "It makes me feel good knowing that the driver isn't going to move that bus until everybody is buckled in," says Pisano.
 * The latest controversy surrounding school-bus safety isn't about** //seat// //belt//**s but rather the large passenger vans that budget-pinched districts are increasingly using as alternatives to higher-priced school buses. Vans are also more attractive to some school systems because, unlike federally approved school buses, they can be driven by someone without a commercial license or special training, such as a coach or a teacher.
 * "You mean, Annie will be riding on a bus without safety seats? Not even** //seat// **belts?" Julie Goodridge, of Boston, couldn't hide her anxiety as she and her daughter's daycare director discussed a trip to a petting zoo. The idea of her 18-month-old bouncing unrestrained in a school bus, barreling down a four-lane highway, no less, was almost heart-stopping.
 * Make sure your child is riding in a bus that meets federal safety standards.
 * If there are no child safety seats, talk to your preschool director about getting them.
 * **Make sure your child is helped on and off the bus by an adult and is supervised while she's in the ten-foot radius around the bus (the "**//danger// **zone").**
 * **If you're uncomfortable with the idea of your preschooler riding without safety seats or** //seat// **belts on a field trip, keep her out of school that day or make other travel arrangements.**
 * That's just what Julie Goodridge did: While the other kids went to the zoo, Annie stayed home.
 * Our school bus fears usually focus on images of some horrible wreck. But children are most likely to get hurt during routine pickup and drop-off, when they're in the "**//danger// **zone"--the area inside a ten-foot radius around the bus, in which small children often become invisible to both the driver and approaching motorists. It's here that kids crossing the street are hit by motorists who illegally pass a stopped bus, or youngsters darting in front of, next to, behind, or even under the bus are inadvertently struck by their own driver.
 * Wait for the bus on the sidewalk, not in the street.
 * Assure your child that you won't be upset if he doesn't retrieve a jacket or backpack left on the bus or schoolwork dropped under a wheel.

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Crain, Keith. "Safety vs. profits." __Automotive News__ 79.6122 (22 Nov. 2004): 12-12. __MasterFILE Premier__. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Mar. 2009 .**
 * Title:**//Safety vs. profits. By: Crain, Keith, Automotive News, 00051551, 11/22/2004, Vol. 79, Issue 6122 //**Database:**//MasterFILE Premier//

**Safety vs. profits**
I don't care whether automobile manufacturers build or their dealers order cars with 10 speakers and the latest video system. If the customer wants them, order them and stock them. But I am becoming uncomfortable with the notion that manufacturers and dealers sell cars and trucks without available lifesaving features. If safety features are just options, how can you choose not to have them on your entire inventory? Automakers and their suppliers have done a fantastic job of developing remarkable systems that can prevent accidents, prevent serious injury and **//save//** **//lives//**. But there is something wrong with the idea that I'm offering this life-saving feature as an option and if dealers decide that no one would pay for it, they won't order it for inventory. So customers are left to buy millions of vehicles a year without the latest lifesaving devices. Sure, you can argue about giving customers a choice about purchasing those devices. But in the real world, most customers don't want to buy anything they can't see. If it were up to the customers, many would **//save//** the money and pick vehicles with plate glass Windows and no **//seat//** **//belts//** or airbags or side-impact barriers or antilock brakes or any of the other devices that**//save//** **//lives//** everyday. And that doesn't give the second and third owners much of a choice, either. How much is a life worth? Well, there are plenty of studies that will assess a value. But the fact is that in America, we're killing more than 40,000 people a year with automobiles, and mat's far too many. All safety-related devices should become standard equipment on all vehicles. No choice. It's not an economic decision; it's a moral decision. When the choice becomes profits vs. **//lives//**, the decision should be simple. This is why the automobile industry has such low credibility. It would rather leave it up to federal agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate standards so no automaker worries that a feature makes it uncompetitive. That's why we have NHTSA in the first place. If an automobile company has side airbags, install them on all vehicles. If an automobile company has a stability-control system available, install it on all vehicles. For once, let's forget about profits and be on the side of safely. PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE) 12362668401236266840 By Keith Crain

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Jayne O'Donnell. "Nearly all vehicles nag the unbelted." __USA Today__ (n.d.). __MasterFILE Premier__. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 5 Mar. 2009 .
 * Title:**//Nearly all vehicles nag the unbelted USA Today, 07347456, MAR 03, 2006 //**Database:**//MasterFILE Premier//

**Nearly all vehicles nag the unbelted**
 Section: Money, Pg. 01b Riding around without your **//seat//** **//belt//** on? Chances are your car is going to nag you to buckle up. Nearly all automakers now install systems to bug the unbelted. They go beyond the chimes and lights that are required when you start the car and can continue intermittently for as long as nine minutes. Safety advocates say the systems can **//save//** **//lives//**, but some car owners think they are annoying. Among the latest: the General Motors system, on 75% of its models. The automaker says it should be almost imperceptible to those who buckle up and less aggravating to those who don't. But a safety researcher thinks it may not be noticeable enough to push the unbuckled into their belts. Ford Motor had the first reminder system, introduced in 1999. The system in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models warns with six seconds of chimes and lights 10 times in five minutes if drivers -- and, in most models, passengers -- are unbelted. In 2002, Jeffrey Runge, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, asked all automakers to install similar technology. A study that same year by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the Ford system increased **//belt//** use to 76% from 71%. GM's system relies heavily on lights, uses shorter chimes and warns less frequently than other systems -- just three times in 41/2 minutes. Jim Khoury, GM's manager of advanced safety development, says research showed even those who wear belts don't always buckle up immediately so don't need to be reminded very early or loudly. "Our first criteria was that we can't annoy people that use their belts. They don't need to be reminded," he says. Susan Ferguson, IIHS' senior vice president of research, isn't sure lights work as well as lengthy chimes: "We know more intrusive systems can be effective. We're not as sure systems that are less annoying will be as effective." Ferguson is completing a study of Honda's system, which uses lights and chimes 18 times over nine minutes to remind the unbuckled. Such a system would have driven Jolie Morris crazy. She had a 2004 Ford Explorer that she drove to the end of her tenth-of-a-mile-long driveway in Alaska to wait for her children's school bus. Morris says she always wears a **//seat//****//belt//** but not in her own driveway. The intermittent chime irritated her so much that she consulted the owner's manual and disabled it. IIHS found 86% of people liked the Ford system and 3% disabled it. "There is a balance between being insistent enough and thinking, 'My goodness, this is really annoying,'" Ferguson says. "I don't think we really know what it is yet." (c) USA TODAY, 2006
 * But some drivers consider **//seat//**-**//belt//** reminders irritating**

**Source:** USA Today, MAR 03, 2006 **Item:** J0E085618808606