NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 11, 1999

CARY GEARS UP FOR ANNUAL NATIONAL CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK

CARY, NC -- The Town of Cary will get a head start on the rest of the country in an effort to educate citizens on the importance of using proper child restraint devices during National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week, February 14-20, 1999. The Cary Police will conduct a Child Safety Seat Checking Station on February 13^th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Cary Kroger Food Store parking lot located on NW Maynard Road at High House Road. This event is being held in cooperation with Wake County Safe Kids and Kroger Food Stores.

"We want to help drivers know how to properly protect their young passengers," said Cary Police Lt. Doug Scott. "It only takes two minutes to buckle a child into a safety seat," noted Scott. "This isn’t too much to expect of drivers when you consider the consequences of not taking the time."

A report just issued by the National Safe Kids Campaign found that 85 percent of car seats are not properly installed.

As part of their education effort, Cary PD will also provide a Child Passenger Safety information display from February 16^th- 19^th inside the Cary Wal-Mart located on Kildaire Farm Road at Tryon Road. The display will provide information on current child passenger laws, safety tips, and Internet web sites to inform and educate citizens on child passenger safety. These websites include:

• National Child Safety Seat Recall List at <www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/recall/cssinter.html>
• Child Safety Seat Selection Guidelines at <www.aap.org/policy/01352.html>
• Child Safety Seat Shopping Guide at <www.aap.org/family/famshop.htm>
• 1 Minute Child Safety Seat Check Up at <www.aap.org/family/carseat3.htm>
• Premature and Low Birth Weight Infant Passenger Safety at <www.aap.org/policy/01351.html>

Throughout the awareness week, officers from Cary’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program will also focus patrols near schools and daycare centers to check for the proper child passenger restraints. Members of Cary’s STEP unit are specially trained in the proper use of child restraint devices. Drivers not having children properly restrained could receive a $105 citation.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS Lt. Doug Scott, Cary PD, 460-4903 or 517-3080

Bill Coleman, Town Manager, 469-4002

Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, 460-4951