MVCs are a major contributor to child injury and death. Infant restraint seats and child booster seats have been shown to reduce the odds of severe injury or death when used correctly. While all states have mandated the use of these restraint systems, the age at which a child can be legally restrained using an adult seat belt varies from state to state. Efforts to strengthen Florida's weak child restraint laws have failed for more than a decade; in the 2014 legislative session, advocates succeeded in raising the state's age requirement from 3 years to 5 years. While many factors contributed to this year's success, some key elements included efficient communication of supporting data, a strong and broad advocacy network and the leveraging of election year political rivalries. Efforts to further strengthen the law will continue into future legislative sessions.

This is an information sheet compiled by Safekids NZ for use in our Information Packs. It is made up of three sides: (1) a page of general information about advocacy to prevent unintentional child injury, (2) a flow chart which describes the steps to be taken to advocate and (3) a practical pedestrian safety-related example. The general information section includes some statistics and argues against sensible injury prevention work being seen as 'cotton-wooling' kids: "Preventing unintentional injury is not about stopping children from having fun, or wrapping them up in cotton wool. It is about minimizing preventable harm, enabling children to grow up healthy and active." This version has been adapted by adding two pages of material on doing a stakeholder analysis as part of the Safekids Campaign 2009 - 2010 passengers theme.

This is an information sheet compiled by Safekids NZ for use in our Information Packs. It is made up of three sides: (1) a page of general information about advocacy to prevent unintentional child injury, (2) a flow chart which describes the steps to be taken to advocate and (3) a practical pedestrian safety-related example. The general information section includes some statistics and argues against sensible injury prevention work being seen as 'cotton-wooling' kids: "Preventing unintentional injury is not about stopping children from having fun, or wrapping them up in cotton wool. It is about minimizing preventable harm, enabling children to grow up healthy and active."

This paper describes the evidence base that has emerged in the literature with respect to advocacy for healthy public policy as a health promotion technology. As a technology, and a defined and recognized method of practice developed out of theory and observation, policy advocacy is relatively new in health promotion/public health, entering the literature about two decades ago. The evidence base is not shored up by systematic overviews, assessments or meta-analyses of the efficacy of policy advocacy. Rather, it consists largely of principles and guidelines culled from the experience of players in the policy advocacy arena, and what could be characterized as case studies of efforts to achieve policy changes (typically in terms of legislation, regulations under statutes, or decisions of regulatory bodies). To our knowledge this paper is the first attempt to characterize the evidence base with respect to policy advocacy as a health promotion technology, and to summarize the more cogent lessons learned from that base.

Notes for letter, August 1999. Safekids response to a remit challenging the Swimming Pools Fencing Act.

An address to the Faculty of Law, University of Canterbury by the then Commissioner for Children, Laurie O'Reilly. Includes an overview of the Commissioner's role and functions, the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child, education, a voice for children, poverty, privacy, and international agreements.

Advocacy plan prepared by Deidre Kent to guide Safe Kids team strategies for pedestrian injury prevention

This is a brief handout developed for Kidsafe Week 2000 which is broken up into the following headings: (1)What is advocacy (2)What's the role of local government in child safety (3)What's the most effective way of going about advocacy with local body polticians. Also listed are some suggested advocacy opportunities for Kidsafe Week 2000.

Advocates for children gathered at a major international conference in New Zealand in 1999. This book presents a selection of papers from the conference, covering many vital issues. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provided a reference point for discussions which included children and trauma, children's rights education, the action of governments to implement the Convention, the impact of economic change on children's lives, and children's rights in the ecology of human development. Legal, cultural, welfare, educational and health issues relating to children are all part of the book.

This booklet written in Cook Island Maori is aimed at preschoolers and their parents. It tells a story about walking to school safely.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs warns party-goers that novelty aerosol sprays that throw out strings and streamers can be dangerous when used near a flame or heat source such as a bar heater or light bulb. "We were recently told of an accident at a birthday party where a person was sprayed with aerosol string," says the Ministry’s Trading Standards Manager, Tony Leverton. "The candles were some distance from the person, but the spray ignited and caused second degree burns." Most novelty aerosols contain flammable propellant. "The propellant and contents can ignite when they come in contact with an open flame, and can cause horrific injuries," says Mr Leverton. "The content is a sticky, plastic substance that continues to burn when in contact with the skin."

This pamphlet provides some guidelines and advice for victims of a home fire.

A bearded man applied aftershave to his neck and a few seconds later apparently lit a cigarette. The matchstick set light to aftershave vapours which reulted in burns across his neck. First reported injury of this type. Aftershave contains between 65 and 85 per cent volume alcohol. Hence the risk of alcohol vapour combustion burns remains real.

Article describes student/family problems in disadvantaged schools Deals with the curriculum, pedagogy and school practices that need to be reformed. Considers effects of 'at risk' labelling. Suggests programmes.

Risk-taking behaviour has been identified as a possible explanation for the high incidence of motor vehicle crashes involving young male drivers. This study examines the extent to which differences in risk-taking behaviour explain the differential crash rates by age and gender. A random sample of 689 adults aged 17-88 were selected from motor vehicle license holders within randomly selected geographical areas across Queensland. Participants completed a questionnaire covering their attitudes towards driving behaviour and general risk-taking behaviour, selected demographic characteristics and self-reported history of road crashes as a driver. Univariate analysis showed that males scored higher means than females in driver aggression and thrill seeking and in their general risk acceptance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that males were twice as likely to have reported at least one crash as a driver compared to females and nearly three times as likely to have reported two or more crashes. Drivers aged 17-29 were also twice as likely to have reported at least one crash when compared to those aged over 50 years. When risk-taking behaviours were introduced into the logistic model the odds of males or 17-29 year olds being involved in at least one crash substantially reduced. An increased risk of a crash as a driver can, in part, be explained by the age and gender differential in risk-taking behaviour. The challenge for public health professionals is to determine suitable strategies to modify risk-taking behaviour in young or male drivers.

The objective of this study was to examine age and gender differences in children's perception of injury risk and to evaluate cognitive factors that relate to their appraisal of risk. The participants were 120 children (6 to 10 years of age), who used a series of photographs, which depicted play activities that varied from no to high risk, to appraise injury risk. Results showed that children were able to distinguish varying degrees of injury risk. Boys rated risk as lower than girls, and 6-year-old children identified fewer risk factors and did so more slowly than 10-year-old children. For girls, perceived vulnerability to injury was the best predictor of injury risk ratings, whereas for boys it was judged severity of potential injury. In conclusion, children's appraisal of risk and age and gender differences in related factors highlight important components for injury prevention programs.

Causes of pedestrian acidents were investigated for patients treated for injuries at the emergency unit of a hospital. Accidents in collisions with motor vehicles were the main cause. Young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Preponderance of males was observed in the accident categories of collissions with motor vehicles and bicycle.

To evaluate the interaction of gender, age, type of crash, and occupant role in motor vehicle crash injuries leading to hospitalization, we analyzed 1997 Wisconsin hospital discharge data for patients with primary E-code diagnoses of motor vehicle injuries. The overall ratio of males to females (M:F ratio) hospitalized for motor vehicle crash injuries was 1.33. The M:F ratio varied by type of crash and differed for passengers and drivers. For injuries sustained in collisions between vehicles, the M:F ratio was 0.96; in loss of control accidents the M:F ratio was 1.95. Within each type of crash, the M:F ratio for drivers was similar to that for the entire type; the M:F ratio for passengers was about half of the type total. Expressed as rates of hospitalization per 100 000 people in the general population, hospitalizations of drivers in collisions with another motor vehicle increased steeply in males, but not in females, beginning at about age 70. For drivers in loss of control crashes, male rates exceeded female rates in all age groups, with peaks in the groups 15–24 and 85–89. For passengers, injury rates from collisions with other motor vehicles were greater for females, especially in the elderly, and injury rates from loss of control crashes were similar for both genders, with peaks at 15–24 and 85–94. The higher fatality of men in loss of control motor vehicle crashes, compared to women, suggests an important area for further investigation.

Injuries to youth on all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have been increasing exponentially in recent years. Youth under age 16 years are four times more likely to require emergency room treatments. This study explored the relationships and differences in ATV risk and safety behaviors based on age, gender, and age at ATV driving/ riding initiation. Data was collected from 180 farm youth between 10 and 19 years of age. The study brought to light an important factor that influences risky ATV behaviors of youth, namely their age at ATV driving and riding initiation. The sooner that youth (boys and girls) were exposed to ATVs, including riding with their family or friends, the sooner they started driving ATVs themselves, and the more likely they were to indulge in several ATV risk behaviors when older. This effect was more pronounced for boys than girls. Overall, girls in this study were equally likely to engage in many of the risky ATV behaviors like taking and giving rides on single seat ATVs, driving adult-sized ATVs, driving ATVs on public roads, and driving ATVs really fast. However, they were less likely to wear protective attire, leaving them more vulnerable to injuries and fatalities during crashes. Implications of the findings and future directions are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Although small series have suggested that younger age is associated with less favorable outcome after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), confounders and biases have limited our understanding of this relationship. We hypothesized that there would be an association between age and mortality in children within an ongoing observational, cohort study. METHODS: The first 200 subjects from the Approaches and Decisions for Acute Pediatric TBI trial were eligible for this analysis (inclusion criteria: severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score = 8], age 18 years, and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor placed; exclusion: pregnancy). Children with suspected abusive head trauma (AHT) were excluded to avoid bias related to the association between AHT and mortality. Demographics, and prehospital and resuscitation events were collected/analyzed, and children were stratified based on age at time of injury (< 5, 5-< 11, 11-18 years) and presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Analyses of variance were used to test the equality of the means across the group for continuous variable, and Chi-square tests were used to compare percentages for discrete variables (post hoc comparisons were made using t test and Bonferroni corrections, as needed). Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for each age subgroup describing the time of death, and log-rank was used to compare the curves. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the effect of age on time to death while controlling for covariates. RESULTS: In the final cohort (n = 155, 45 excluded for AHT), overall age was 9.2 years ± 0.4 and GCS was 5.3 ± 0.1. Mortality was similar between strata (14.0, 20.0, 20.9%, respectively, p = 0.58). Motor vehicle accidents were the most common mechanism across all strata, while falls tended to be more common in the youngest stratum (p = 0.08). The youngest stratum demonstrated increased incidence of spontaneous hypothermia at presentation and decreased hemoglobin concentrations and coagulopathies, while the oldest demonstrated lower platelet counts. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to previous reports, we failed to detect mortality differences across age strata in children with severe TBI. We have discerned novel associations between age and various markers of injury-unrelated to AHT-that may lead to testable hypotheses in the future.

This study performed a retrospective chart review of all children with cervical spine injury who presented to a children's hospital during an 11 year period. They looked at the severity of their injuries and the outcome. Has medical perspective. Nothing about injury prevention or cause.

In 2002 there were 237 road traffic collisions (RTCs) involving a child pedestrian in Derbyshire. Complete details were available for 200 RTCs. There was a significantly lower proportion of female drivers (34.5%) than expected according to the number of female drivers registered nationally (43%). Similarly, there was a greater proportion of drivers under the age of 40 years involved in RTCs with children as pedestrians (58.5%) than anticipated (42.1%). Drivers between the ages of 17-20 and 31-40 years were significantly more likely to be involved in an RTC with a child as a pedestrian. Male drivers and drivers under the age of 40 years are more likely to be involved in RTCs with children as pedestrians. Educational publicity campaigns to reduce driver speeds in urban areas need to be targeted at those drivers most likely to be involved in an RTC with a child.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzes and compares exposures to prescription opioids among children and adolescents younger than 20 years old in the United States. METHODS: Data from the National Poison Data System for 2000 through 2015 were analyzed. RESULTS: Poison control centers received reports of 188 468 prescription opioid exposures among children aged <20 years old from 2000 through 2015. The annual number and rate of exposures increased early in the study period, but declined after 2009, except for buprenorphine exposures, which increased during the last 3 study years. Hydrocodone accounted for the largest proportion of exposures (28.7%), and 47.1% of children exposed to buprenorphine were admitted to a health care facility (HCF). The odds of being admitted to an HCF were higher for teenagers than for children aged 0 to 5 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.78-2.94) or children aged 6 to 12 years (OR: 6.62; 95% CI: 6.06-7.02). Teenagers also had greater odds of serious medical outcomes than did children aged 0 to 5 years (OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 2.92-3.15) or children aged 6 to 12 years (OR: 4.59; 95% CI: 4.21-5.00). The rate of prescription opioid-related suspected suicides among teenagers increased by 52.7% during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Prescription opioid-related HCF admissions and serious medical outcomes were higher among teenagers. Contrary to trends for other prescription opioids, exposures to buprenorphine have increased in recent years; children aged 0 to 5 years accounted for almost 90% of buprenorphine exposures. These findings indicate that additional prevention efforts are needed.

Objectives; To examine the variation by age in the rates and causes of burn injury requiring hospitalization during early childhood. Conclusions; The findings underscore the importance of developmental stage as a determinant of risk and type of burn injury. Children aged 6 months through 2 years are at increased risk of severe burn injury and should be targeted for prevention efforts.

A number of factors related to bicycle accidents were studied, namely, knowledge of priority rules, attitude and self-reported behavior regarding traffic rules, and general opinions about the safety of the traffic behavior of cyclists and drivers. In order to get an indication of the influence of these factors at different stages of the life span, subjects ranging from 9 to 83 years of age were represented in the study. The relationship between age and the various measures was found to be U-shaped in most cases. The older cyclists and the 9 to 11 year olds, the two groups that are most at risk, were deficient regarding knowledge while showing the most positive attitudes. Implications with respect to possible counter measures are discussed.

A comprehensive reference work based on a four-phase research endeavor by the US agency 'Play Today'. The primary content is organized into four levels, each representing an increasing level of detail. These levels are play categories; toy subcategories; age groups; toy characteristics.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the reduction in risk of head injuries associated with use of bicycle helmets among persons ages 3 to 70 and the cost-effectiveness of helmet use based on this estimated risk reduction. METHODS: To derive our cost-effectiveness estimates, we combined injury incidence data gathered through a detailed and comprehensive injury registration system in Norway, acute medical treatment cost information for the Norwegian health service, and information reported in the scientific literature regarding the health protective effects of helmet use. The analysis included all cases of head injuries reported through the registration system from 1990 through 1996. We performed an age-stratified analysis to determine the incidence of bicycle-related head injuries, the 5-year reduction in absolute risk of injury, the number needed to treat, and the cost-effectiveness of helmet use. To test the robustness of the findings to parameter assumptions, we performed sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: The risk of head injury was highest among children aged 5 to 16. The greatest reduction in absolute risk of head injury, 1.0 to 1.4% over 5 years estimated helmet lifetime, occurred among children who started using a helmet between the ages of 3 and 13. Estimates indicate that it would cost approximately U.S. $2,200 in bicycle helmet expenses to prevent any one upper head injury in children ages 3-13. In contrast, it would cost U.S. $10,000-25,000 to avoid a single injury among adults. CONCLUSIONS: Bicycle safety helmets appear to be several times more cost-effective for children than adults, primarily because of the higher risk of head injury among children. Programs aiming to increase helmet use should consider the differences in injury risk and cost-effectiveness among different age groups and target their efforts accordingly.

This study assessed whether persons who begin drinking at younger ages are more likely to report drunk driving and alcohol-related crash involvement over the life course, even after controlling analytically for diagnosis of alcohol dependence, years of drinking alcohol, and other personal characteristics associated with the age respondents started drinking. A national survey asked 42 862 respondents the age that they started drinking, whether they drove after drinking too much, and whether they were in motor-vehicle crashes because of their drinking. This analysis focused on 27 081 (65%), who reported ever drinking in their lifetime. The earlier the age respondents started drinking, the more likely they were to report driving after drinking too much and being in a motor-vehicle crash because of their drinking even after adjusting for current/ever diagnosis of alcohol dependence, number of years respondents had been drinking, and other characteristics and behaviors associated with the age respondents started drinking. Particularly, among persons who were never alcohol-dependent, those who began drinking in each age group under 21, relative to those starting at age 21 or older, were more likely to report ‘‘ever’’ and ‘‘in the past year’’ being in a crash after drinking too much. The traffic safety benefits of delaying drinking may extend well beyond the legal drinking age of 21.

OBJECTIVES: To compare and contrast characteristics and determinants of fatal all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes among pediatric age groups. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive and multivariable analyses of Consumer Product Safety Commission fatality data (1985–2009) were performed. RESULTS: Relative to 1985–1989 (baseline), pediatric deaths over the subsequent 4-year periods were lower until 2001–2004, when they markedly increased. Also, the proportion of vehicles involved in fatalities with engine sizes >350 cubic centimeter increased, reaching ~50% of crashes in 2007–2009. Ninety-five percent of all pediatric fatalities were on adult-size vehicles. Victims <6 years old had the highest proportion of girls (24%) and passengers (76%), and the lowest helmet use (17%). More than half of 6- to 11-year-old children were vehicle operators; 1 in 4 were carrying passengers in their own age range. Over the study period, 12- to 15-year-old children accounted for more than half of all pediatric ATV-related fatalities. The proportion of youth riding on the road increased with age, as did the proportion of collisions with other vehicles. Older teens had the highest proportions of roadway fatalities (72%) and collision events (63%), and 19% of their crashes involved alcohol. Head injuries occurred in 63% of victims (the major determinant being roadway riding), and helmets reduced the likelihood of head injury among fatal crash victims by 58%. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences between pediatric age groups in the relative contribution of known risk factors for ATV-related fatalities. Future injury prevention efforts must recognize these differences and develop interventions based on the age range targeted.

OBJECTIVES: To compare and contrast characteristics and determinants of fatal all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes among pediatric age groups. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive and multivariable analyses of Consumer Product Safety Commission fatality data (1985–2009) were performed. RESULTS: Relative to 1985–1989 (baseline), pediatric deaths over the subsequent 4-year periods were lower until 2001–2004, when they markedly increased. Also, the proportion of vehicles involved in fatalities with engine sizes >350 cubic centimeter increased, reaching ~50% of crashes in 2007–2009. Ninety-five percent of all pediatric fatalities were on adult-size vehicles. Victims <6 years old had the highest proportion of girls (24%) and passengers (76%), and the lowest helmet use (17%). More than half of 6- to 11-year-old children were vehicle operators; 1 in 4 were carrying passengers in their own age range. Over the study period, 12- to 15-year-old children accounted for more than half of all pediatric ATV-related fatalities. The proportion of youth riding on the road increased with age, as did the proportion of collisions with other vehicles. Older teens had the highest proportions of roadway fatalities (72%) and collision events (63%), and 19% of their crashes involved alcohol. Head injuries occurred in 63% of victims (the major determinant being roadway riding), and helmets reduced the likelihood of head injury among fatal crash victims by 58%. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences between pediatric age groups in the relative contribution of known risk factors for ATV-related fatalities. Future injury prevention efforts must recognize these differences and develop interventions based on the age range targeted.

This Children's Discussion Pack accompanies the Agenda for Children Discussion Paper (rec. # 4908). This children's pack was developed for seeking feedback from 5 to 17 year olds about what they consider to be important issues for children and young people living in New Zealand. It includes a response sheet and pre-paid reply envelope for children to make 'submissions'.

The Agenda for Children is a Government plan of action to make New Zealand a great place for children. It is being developed through work led by the Ministry of Social Policy. Consulting with children, young people and adults interested in children's issues is an important part of developing this plan. The Discussion paper sets out the early thinking on what the Agenda for Children might ciontain. Submissions are welcomed from groups and individuals with an interest in children's issues, along with interested young people. The Ministry of Social Policy wants to hear what people think about priorities for child policy over the next five years. There is also a Children's Discussion Pack which accompanies this discussion document (rec. # 4909) The final date for responses is June 22, 2001.

In April 2001, the Ministry of Social Policy issued a discussion paper introducing the Agenda for Children. The paper set out the vision, principles and goals for the Agenda and invited people to give their views on these. The discussion paper also asked people for their views on priorities for action to achieve those goals (see rec # 4908). At the same time, the Ministry put out a Children’s Discussion Pack and invited children and young people to let the Government know their thoughts about being a child or young person in New Zealand. It specifically asked them to comment on what is good, what is not so good and what could be done to make life better for children and young people (see rec # 4909). The issues raised in submissions from children and young people and from adults were coded and summarised. Because both the adults’ and children and young people’s submissions were from a self-selected group, the views in them are not necessarily representative of the views of all adults or children and young people in New Zealand. This summary report gives a brief overview of the key points identified, first for children and young people, then for adults. A copy of the full report for each group can be obtained from the Ministry of Social Development website: www.msd.govt.nz. This document also includes a pamphlet entitled "What you told us" which is a child-friendly summary of the submissions.

This is a story about a baby who pulled down a vapouriser full of boiling water whilst in a baby walker. A baby walker standard was introduced in NSW in 2000 and nationally in 2002 but doctors warned that while it would prevent most falls down stairs it would not prevent burns. Most of the burns are caused by children using their extra movement and reach in the walkers to pull at electrical cords, cookers, heaters and irons. A Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit report found that injury rates from the walkers had declined only slightly since mandatory standards were introduced. The standards were copied from the US against advice from most safety experts, who wanted the product banned. Last month, Canada became the first country to ban baby walkers after the Government said requests for the industry to phase them out voluntarily had failed.

Farm and ranch work sites present lethal hazards to young children. According to data from the Canadian Agricultural Injury Surveillance Program (CAISP), from 1990 to 2000 there were 109 fatal agricultural injuries to children aged 1-6 years in Canada. Over 84% of the children were related to the farm owner/operators. 79% of those killed were boys. Of the 109 deaths nationally, 23 occurred in Alberta. Possible prevention strategies to reduce the number of fatal and hospitalized injuries to children on our farms and ranches include:; Keeping young children from entering the farm or ranch work site.; Making affordable childcare alternatives available to farm and ranch families.; Using a "no extra riders" rule on tractors and other farm machinery.; Providing fenced-in play areas with high-mounted, self-locking, gate closures for young children.

Agricultural media merit increased attention in addressing dynamic changes in safety aspects of one of the nation's most hazardous industries. Changes in farming, such as larger scale, new "niche" enterprises and new technologies, bring new forms of risk to the safety of those who live and work on farms and ranches. At the same time, traditional agricultural media - commercial firms that publish farm periodicals and commercial radio/television stations and networks that provide farm programming - are changing dramatically. In the face of media convergence, these enterprises provide an increasing menu of agricultural information services delivered by print, radio and television, plus a host of new electronic media. This review of literature addressed the role and importance of commercial agricultural media in the U.S., the scope and pattern of their safety coverage, and the opportunities they represent. The review involved searches of 14 bibliographic databases, as well as reference lists of relevant studies and contacts with farm safety experts. Analysis of 122 documents suggested that limited focus has been directed to the role of commercial agricultural media in safety decisions on U.S. farms. FINDINGS revealed that they continue to serve an efficient, early-stage role in creating awareness and interest, providing information, forming attitudes and stirring consideration of farm safety. Potentials are seen as expanding through the interactive features of social media and other new services offered by these media firms. FINDINGS also identified research needs, 100 farm safety topics for reporting and opportunities for strengthening safety coverage by commercial agricultural media.

The objective of this research was to determine and compare the prevalence, nature and predictors of agricultural motorcycle injuries (2, 3 & 4 wheels) in a high-risk cohort of Western Australian adolescents. A cross-sectional survey of 326 students (Years 11 and 12) was drawn from the six designated agricultural colleges, in Western Australia. The survey instrument was assessed as reliable and measured riding exposure, vehicle type and maintenance, use of protective equipment, training and injury experience. Results showed that for those subjects with access to an agricultural motorcycle (n = 240), a total of 53% (n = 127) had incurred an injury. Of these, 73% (n = 92) resulted from two wheelers and 24% (n = 31) from ATVs, with 3% (n = 4) not specified. No significant differences in the nature of injury or body parts injured was observed. Approximately one-third of those injured required medical treatment. Predictors of injury were maximum travelling speed exceeding 101 km/hour and only sometimes wearing a helmet. In conclusion, agricultural motorcycle injuries are a significant issue in rural areas, with potential intervention points relating to improving rider training and reducing specific risk-taking behaviours. Further work to investigate the efficacy of rider training interventions for agricultural motorcycles are warranted.

This population-based study reports the prevalent agricultural tasks and the 1-year cumulative incidence of injuries in a sample of 999 children < or = 18 years old living on family farms in Kentucky. Data were collected in 1994 to 1995 for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Project. A random sample of farm children in 60 Kentucky counties was selected using a cross-sectional, two-stage cluster design. Respondents, primarily mothers, completed a 30-minute telephone interview about work-related tasks and injuries experienced by their children while working on the farm. Results showed that participation in chores related to tobacco and beef cattle production was common for children aged 5 to 18 years. In a 1-year period, 29 children were injured while performing farm work, yielding a crude rate of 2.8 per 100 children. Boys aged 16 to 18 years had the highest injury rate (9.2 per 100 children). Farm machinery, cattle and horses, falls from heights, and contact with inanimate objects were the primary external causes of nonfatal farm work injuries. In conclusion, rates of farm work injuries among adolescent boys may be higher than previously reported for Kentucky and other states. Injury prevention interventions targeted to chores related to tobacco and beef cattle production are particularly relevant for this population of young workers.

This is a resource booklet with pictures to colour in and activities to complete, for new entrant pupils, around fire safety.

This is a resource booklet with pictures to colour in and activities to complete, for year two pupils, around fire safety.

The revised National Curriculum took effect from September 2000 in the UK and the author assesses how the new curriculum, and other related school-based guidance, addresses safety education in primary and secondary schools.

Air bags, whilst being useful safety devices, can also cause serious injury or even death under certain circumstances. This set of guidelines for air bag safety details some precautions that can be made to reduce the risk of injury associated with air bag deployment.

The overall performance of air bags has proved them to be very effective in reducing fatal and serious injuries from motor vehicle crashes, however some adverse side effects in addition to these benefits are becoming evident. According to this article, it is important to note that air bags aren't devices that protect every occupant in every crash from all types of injury. They're designed to work with safety belts in front and front-angle crashes, the most common kind of serious crash. It is the energy of an inflating air bag that, in some circumstances, can cause occupant injuries, usually minor but occasionally serious or fatal.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) affects ~1 in 1000 live births and is the most common cause of infant death after the perinatal period. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of air pollution on the incidence of SIDS. Time-series analyses were performed to compare the daily mortality rates for SIDS and the daily air pollution concentrations in each of 12 Canadian cities during the period of 1984-1999. Serial autocorrelation was controlled for by city, and then the city-specific estimates were pooled. Increased daily rates of SIDS were associated with increases, on the previous day, in the levels of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and carbon monoxide but not ozone or fine particles measured every sixth day. Effects persisted despite adjustments for season alone or the combination of daily mean temperature, relative humidity, and changes in barometric pressure for NO2 and SO2 but not carbon monoxide. Results showed that increases in both SO2 and NO2, equivalent to their interquartile ranges, were associated with a 17.72% increase in SIDS incidence. In conclusion, ambient SO2 and NO2 may be important risk factors for SIDS.

A theoretical analysis was performed to demonstrate the likely costs and benefits of U.S. full-size driver airbags and the smaller European-style facebag. Benefits were determined using Harm Reductions for front-seat occupants involved in frontal crashes. The results demonstrate the advantage of fullsize airbags over facebags, even when seatbelt wearing rates are high.

Drivers of pickups with on/off switches for the frontal airbags on the passenger side and with children ages 1 to 12 riding in the front seat are only turning the airbags off about half of the time. This is the main finding of a survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Drivers with infants in rear-facing child restraints turned off the passenger airbags most frequently- about 86 percent of the time. On the other hand, passenger airbags were turned off for about 17 percent of the adult passengers surveyed, affording them no safety benefit from the airbags in the event of a crash. NHTSA recommends turning off passenger airbags whenever a child 12 or younger rides in the front seat because of the risk of inflation injuries caused by the deploying airbags. Passenger airbags should be turned on whenever someone 13 or older rides in the front passenger seat.

Special precautions are needed to safely transport children in vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags. To prevent air-bag-associated injuries, (1) all infants and children should be properly restrained in child safety seats or lap and shoulder belts when riding in a motor vehicle; (2) infants riding in rear-facing child safety seats should never be placed in the fronnt seat of a car or truck with a passenger-side air bag; and (3) children should ride in a car's rear seat. If a vehicle does not have a rear seat, children riding in the front seat should be positioned as far back as possible from an air bag.