April 2019 Newsletter

Counterfeit car seats, AAP water safety recommendations, Pedestrian-detection systems, Hands-free driving bills, and more

http://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/em_april_specials_intro_image_zc_v25_55905000012623423.png

April Specials:*
- 15% Off Water Safety Print Orders ($250+);
- 10% Off Vinyl Clings (250 min.)

It was great to see many of you at the annual Lifesavers Conference in Kentucky. We love to put faces with names and hear directly from our peers.

I'm at least as excited as the little girl with the umbrella that we are closing in on warmer weather here in New England. Sunnier, warmer weather brings more participation in outdoor activities and more educational opportunities as well.

This month's news: The AAP has updated their recommendations on water safety to suggest swimming lessons for children as young as 1-year-old; more states are working toward hands-free driving bills; and car seats - not just Gucci bags - are being counterfeited these days.

So much progress is being made toward keeping people safer and yet, there is still so much to be done. We're here to help you do the hard advocacy and outreach, so let us know what we can do.

In the meantime, we have compiled some news items below that you might be able to use in your efforts.

Cheering for you from behind the scenes,

-Jamie, Wendy and the I'm Safe Team

P.S. Our new catalog has gone out and we would love your feedback! If you haven’t received one, you can request one today.

NEWS

	Are you over age one? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends learning to swim... The updated AAP policy for the prevention of drownings states that all children and adults over age one need to learn to swim. While adequate supervision is a "primary and essential preventive strategy," swim lessons have been shown to decrease the risk for some children. Parents need to understand that swim lessons cannot serve as a substitute for close supervision and barriers. Are you looking for affordable materials or displays to encourage safe behavior around water? Email or call Jamie at 877-669-7233, ext. 206, for more information on how you can customize our products.
	Watch out for counterfeit car seats... Fake car seats are being sold through third parties online, and not always at a lower cost. Mary Bridge Children's Hospital has provided these tips for spotting fakes. According to the web site Mother.ly, Doona tested counterfeits of their car seats and found that, "The dupes failed flammability tests, tested positive for dangerous chemicals in the textiles, and in the crash test the dummy babies fell right out of the car seats."
	Remember when you walked and biked everywhere? About 10% of kids still walk or bike to school, based on this brief by FHWA. Distance is a key factor: 80.9% of children who live a quarter mile or less from their school typically walk. People For Bikes has a dedicated space for keeping track of ballot initiatives that will expand bicycle infrastructure and improve quality and access to places where children and their families can ride. Bicycle Safety Month is next month, and there's still time to order materials for your event! Call Jamie at 877-669-7233, ext 206.
	Consumer Reports (CR) examines ways to protect pedestrians ... Pedestrian deaths are on the rise. In their recent report, "Making the World Safer for Pedestrians," CR explores what automakers and cities need to do to better protect those who walk, including pedestrian-detection systems and speed reduction. Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that "pedestrian-detection systems could prevent or reduce the severity of about two-thirds of single-vehicle/pedestrian crashes and prevent 58 percent of related deaths." Coupled with something similar to the speed-limiting technology that Europe will soon require perhaps VisionZero isn't as far away as we thought.
	April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month... Drivers who take pictures or video of roadside accidents as they pass by are a major source of risk for first responders, and yet 71% of people who took a recent NSC survey said that they had done exactly that. Still driving, 60% continued to post on social media, while 66% sent emails.
	Two studies released almost back-to-back confirm the multitude benefits of healthy eating… The first outlines the millions of health events that could be stopped from happening, as well as the billions of dollars it would save. The second confirms that an unhealthy diet now kills 1 in 5 people, more than tobacco and high blood pressure. *We invite you to check out our interactive MyPlate educational materials which are designed to inspire healthy eating habits for both children and their families.*
	Even while hands-free driving bills are being put in place in Minnesota and considered in states across the country (Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts), the NTSB is calling for California to ban cell phone use of any kind, even hands-free. According to the article, the NTSB safety advocacy chief Nicholas Worrell reasons that, "If California leads the way, the rest of the country would follow."
	How healthy is your county? Want to find out? Look no further than the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's annual County Health Rankings Report. This annual report provides a snapshot of how health is influenced by location and examines the severe housing cost burden in the U.S. More than 1 in 10 households (11%) spend more than half of their income on housing costs which is associated with "more food insecurity, more child poverty, and more people in fair or poor health." Key findings are summarized here.
	Teens: Are increases in feelings of loneliness and depression associated with digital media use? ... Today's teens are spending less time with their friends in person and are more lonely than ever according to TheConversation.com. Read more here. *How do you* motivate kids to get out into the real world?** We'd love to hear from you. Tag us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn with your tips.