MIAMI, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Denny's and the Florida Department of Health via the SAFE KIDS Florida Coalition today launched the second phase of their yearlong "Kid's Safety Zone" initiative by hosting a child safety seat inspection at a Denny's restaurant in Miami. The second topic, motor vehicle safety, is rolling out in time for National Child Passenger Safety Week, which begins February 13th. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians representing the SAFE KIDS Coalition distributed information, inspected car seats and worked one-on-one with parents to demonstrate the proper installation and use of each child's safety seat.
"Car seat checkpoints like this one are absolutely critical," said Nancy Humbert, Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Health. "Studies show that while 96% of parents believe their car seats are installed correctly, nearly 73% of car seats are misused in at least one way that could compromise their effectiveness. Working together with Denny's to help educate parents is a great partnership because of Denny's presence in Florida's communities and our expertise in kid's safety."
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of accidental injury- related death among children in Florida. According to 2004 data from SAFE KIDS Worldwide, 38 Florida children age five and under were killed in crashes; 19 of those children were unrestrained. The fatality rate for unrestrained children under four is nearly 13 times higher than the rate for children who are properly restrained. Recognizing the opportunity to provide parents with the tools to curb these tragic statistics, motor vehicle safety is an absolutely essential topic for the "Kid's Safety Zone" to address. The program encourages parents to move beyond Florida's minimum child passenger requirements and follow national guidelines to take every possible precaution to protect their kids during car trips.
Throughout the next three months, Denny's 168 Florida locations will offer free child passenger growth charts to help parents understand how their child's development affects how they should be restrained during car rides. While most child passenger safety information cuts off at age 8, these materials will provide safety tips that apply to children as old as 13. The charts, printed in both English and Spanish, also feature fun sticker activities for kids encouraging them to track their own growth and learn tips to become safer passengers.
"As America's leader in family dining, Denny's is always looking for new opportunities to make a difference in the communities we serve," said Craig Herman, Senior Vice President, Company Operations, Denny's, Inc. "We are thrilled that this partnership with SAFE KIDS Florida allows us to help Florida's parents get their kids from point A to point B safely. Denny's restaurants throughout the state plan to host similar checkpoints and people should contact their local SAFE KIDS chapter or the nearest Denny's for more information."
The statewide program was launched in October 2005 with an event in Orlando that kicked-off the first safety topic, "I'm Smart About People." Additional topics to be addressed in 2006 include water safety and hurricane injury prevention.
About Denny's:
Denny's is America's largest full-service family restaurant chain, consisting of 543 company-owned units and 1,035 franchised and licensed units, with operations in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guam, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. The company's stock is traded under the ticker "DENN," and additional information is available on Denny's web site at http://www.dennys.com/.
About Florida Department of Health via the SAFE KIDS Florida Coalition:
SAFE KIDS Florida's mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. The Florida Department of Health, Office of Injury Prevention, is the lead agency for SAFE KIDS Florida. For more information, please visit the DOH Web site at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Workforce/InjuryPrevention/safekids.html or http://www.safekids.org/.
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