Child Passenger Safety Week
This MARADMIN designates February 9-15, 2003, as Child Passenger Safety Week and encourages Marine Corps installations to conduct family safety activities promoting proper child passenger restraint usage. The message provides NHTSA's "4 Steps for Kids" guidelines and recommends conducting child safety seat inspection events and training activities as part of the USMC's broader total family safety initiative.
Issued: January 21, 2003
1. THE WEEK OF 9-15 FEB 03 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY WEEK. THIS PRESENTS A READYMADE OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE MARINES' FAMILIES IN ACTIVITIES DIRECTED TOWARD MARKETING SAFETY IN KEEPING WITH THE USMC 2D QUARTER THEME. 2. THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) HAS IDENTIFIED "4 STEPS FOR KIDS": (A) REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS IN THE BACK SEAT FROM BIRTH TO AT LEAST ONE YEAR OLD AND AT LEAST 20 POUNDS; (B) FORWARD-FACING TODDLER SEATS IN THE BACK SEAT FROM AGE ONE TO ABOUT AGE FOUR AND 20 TO 40 POUNDS; (C) BOOSTER SEATS IN THE BACK SEAT FROM ABOUT AGE FOUR AND 40 POUNDS TO AT LEAST EIGHT UNLESS 4'9"; (D) SAFETY BELTS AT AGE EIGHT OR OLDER OR TALLER THAN 4'9". ALL CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER SHOULD RIDE IN THE BACK SEAT. 3. A SPECIAL NHTSA WEBSITE, WWW.BUCKLEUPAMERICA.ORG, OUTLINES A VARIETY OF POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK AS WELL AS A SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE. A NUMBER OF SUGGESTED ACTIONS FOCUS ON THIS YEAR'S EMPHASIS TARGETS: PROMOTING BOOSTER SEATS AND PROVIDING TRAINING FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS ON HOW TO TRANSPORT CHILDREN SAFELY. 4. CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTION EVENTS ARE ALWAYS BENEFICIAL. MANY BASES HAVE TRAINED SAFETY SEAT INSPECTORS. BASES LACKING THAT RESOURCE SHOULD LOCATE AND PUBLICIZE CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTIONS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. INFORMATION ON THE INSPECTIONS COULD BE PROVIDED TO DRIVERS DURING SEAT BELT CHECKS OR OTHER TRAFFIC STOPS. 5. AN ACTION-FILLED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY WEEK CAN SERVE AS A POWERFUL KICKOFF FOR THE USMC EFFORT OF MARKETING TOTAL FAMILY SAFETY. 6. SEMPER FIDELIS, W. L. NYLAND, GENERAL, U. S. MARINE CORPS, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.