Transportation

Last year, American Red Cross chapters provided almost 2 million rides to seniors and others. Whether taking someone to a medical appointment, to dialysis or to the grocery store, this essential service makes a difference in the lives of so many who might otherwise be homebound. The obstacles associated with aging and disabilities can lead to isolation, loss of independence, unfulfilled potential and a diminished quality of life. To these clients, transportation is much more than just a ride: It is a means to "age in place," in the environment of choice, and with a familiar support system. In many chapters, volunteer drivers are used to offer this service. Contact your local chapter to find out if they offer any of these services in your area.

Safety Seat Fitting Station Helps Save Children's Lives

Written by Jessica Bernstein, Redcross.org

At the American Red Cross of Montana, Jason McCulloen (left) learns the right way to buckle his son, 21-month old Kade, into a child safety seat. Wade Herbert, one of the chapter's trained technicians, looks on.

Though they may not know it, many kids in Montana are riding more safely in their car seats thanks to the American Red Cross of Montana. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the chapter's District Office in Missoula offers a program to educate parents about the proper way to have their child seated in a motor vehicle. This includes a child safety seat fitting station where technicians teach parents how to correctly install child safety seats in their vehicles. The technicians are trained extensively in a four-day program offered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

When parents arrive, kids and safety seats in tow, a technician inspects the seat and the way it is installed. He or she follows a specific protocol depending on whether the seat is rear-facing, forward facing, or a booster seat. Every specification is recorded on a detailed form that outlines each item that the inspector must check. For example, is the seat the proper type given the child's age and size? Is the safety belt routed correctly? Is the harness mechanism threaded correctly? Is the buckle working properly?

Once the technician has checked the installation, he or she removes the seat from the car and compares the model number and date of manufacture with a list of seats that have been recalled due to safety problems. If the seat has been recalled, or if it is more than six years old, NHTSA recommends that the seat no longer be used. In this case, the inspector informs the parent, and the parent decides what to do. The chapter provides brand new child safety seats to parents who wish to replace theirs but cannot afford to.

The technician then shows the parent how to install the seat properly. Finally, the technician unbuckles the seat and the parent installs it. The work at the fitting station is done by appointment only so that technicians can give their full attention to each parent. Parents also receive information on air bags and how to correctly use their own seat belts.

As the last steps at the Child Safety Seat fitting station, Jason buckles Kade's seat into their van and buckles Kade into the seat.

"The goal of our program is that every child leaves our office safer than when they arrived," explains Wade Herbert, the district's Health and Safety Services Director. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child safety seats reduce the risk of death by about 55 percent for toddlers and infants. Booster seats decrease injuries for children four to eight years of age when compared with seat belt use alone.

Since the program's inception in January 2002, the chapter has checked 200 safety seats. Most of these seats were installed incorrectly when the parents brought them to the fitting station. In Montana, 98 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly. According to NHTSA, the national average is almost 80 percent.

The chapter has been fortunate to secure grants to purchase child safety seats. In conjunction with Ford's Boost America program and the local chapter of Safe Kids, they distributed 3500 booster seats to families throughout Montana. Since motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the United States, that represents many lives saved. Although the kids and parents may never know it.

Related Sites
American Red Cross of Montana
American Red Cross of Montana Western Valleys District
American Red Cross Health and Safety Tips: Car Safety for Infant and Child
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Child Passenger Safety
CDC Center for Injury Prevention and Control

For more information about programs offered in your community, contact your local American Red Cross.

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