Protecting Our Children - It's a 'Matter of Minutes'
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station joined the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar and Assemblymember Cameron Smyth to Promote the 'Matter of Minutes' Initiative by Highlighting the Dangers of Non-Traffic-Related Automobile Accidents. The powerful news conference was used to demonstrate how automobile-related accidents kill hundreds of children each year -
July 25, 2008 (SANTA CLARITA) – What’s the leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents? Here’s a hint – it’s parked in your garage.
In 2007, approximately 232 were killed in non-traffic-related automobile accidents, dying from injuries sustained while alone in, or near, a vehicle in the United States. The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) was joined by Assembly Member Cameron Smyth, Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar, and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Lieutenant Brenda Cambra to promote the organization's Matter of Minutes™ public awareness campaign. At the news conference – which was held at Power Chevrolet Valencia, 23649 Valencia Boulevard, Valencia, CA 91355 – CCRC demonstrated several automobile dangers, including the risks of backing over an unseen child; the dangers of leaving a child ‘safely’ alone in a car seat; and the injuries that can result by leaving a child alone in a car on a hot day.
"Over the years, we have seen that increased public awareness on the dangers automobile airbags pose to children has had a significant impact on the number of children injured or killed by such incidents every year,” said Stacy Miller, vice president of CCRC. “California has the largest number of automobile-related deaths involving children. It’s time for us to become more aware of the dangers of our behavior and be more vigilant in keeping our children safe. It can make a significant difference."
The Matter of Minutes™ campaign was launched by CCRC after the untimely death of two children were left alone in a vehicle in the organization’s service area. The goal of the campaign is to educate the 2.1 million residents serviced by CCRC – the Antelope, San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys – on the devastating effects of leaving children unattended in, or around, an automobile.
“It is difficult to think of anything more tragic than the needless, or preventable, death of a child,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar. “The Matter of Minutes™ campaign is extremely important and I am personally committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure all residents of the City are armed with this critical information.”
One of the key components of the Matter of Minutes™ campaign is helping people understand that car interiors can reach an alarming 120 to 140 degrees in as little as ten minutes in the summertime. Leaving a child in this type of environment not only exposes them to potential strokes and seizures, but also death. This is especially relevant in Southern California, where summertime temperatures typically hover at, or above, 100 degrees.
Beyond being unsafe, such actions are illegal in California. "Kaitlyn's Law" – officially known as the Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle Act – states that it is illegal in California to leave any child younger than six in an automobile without the supervision of an individual 12 years of age or older. This law is named for the six-month-old who died after being left in a van by her babysitter on a day when the mercury topped more than 100 degrees.
"Even in our close family oriented community we have lost children who have been left or forgotten in hot cars, have been tragically run over by a car in their own driveway by a family member, or have fallen undetected into a backyard swimming pool," said Lieutenant Brenda Cambra of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. "Young children need supervision at all times, especially when they are in and around vehicles or near swimming pools," she added. "Caring for them every minute is a responsibility we all share!"
In addition to demonstrating how quickly the interior of a car can heat up, the news conference showed how quickly children can get out of their infant seat – and out of the car – as well as the dangers of not seeing children who may be playing in a car’s ‘blind spot.’ This type of automobile accident drew front page coverage earlier this year when the five-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle driven by her teenage brother.
"It’s imperative that we become more personally aware and responsible for protecting our children in these situations,” added Miller. “In 70 percent of backover incidents, the driver of the vehicle is the victim's parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or older sibling. These types of tragedies shouldn’t have to happen.”
About Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)
Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) is a private, not-for-profit agency dedicated to the promotion of higher standards in child care and early education through the quality, support, development and education of children, parents, providers and the community. For more than 30 years, the organization has been serving the residents and families of the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys, and its mission has been guided by the belief that our social and economic future depends on the quality of a young child’s experiences.
