In Pinellas County, the event is sponsored by the Suncoast SAFE KIDS Coalition and All Children’s Hospital. Its focus is to promote pedestrian safety, fitness, and community involvement, according to Cecilia Barreda with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department. Crossing guards, community police officers, firefighters, parents, and teachers accompany students walking and biking to school, helping them learn safe habits.

  The goal of the international event is to make the world more pedestrian friendly and to

• Encourage physical activity by teaching children the skills to walk safely, how to identify safe routes to school, and the benefits of walking 
• Raise awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made
• Reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools

 Organizers of the event hope to raise awareness of the many benefits of walking and to make the world a safer place in which to do it.

  The National Center for Safe Routes to School of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center maintains a website with information about International Walk to School Day and International Walk to School Month at http://www.walktoschool.org.

 Florida has the worst record in the nation when it comes to pedestrian safety, according to the oft-quoted Transportation for America Dangerous by Design study. Jim Dodson Law is deeply committed to pedestrian, bicyclist, and child safety.  We encourage family members to get out and participate in this event during the month of October and beyond!

 Babies under 1 year-old are safest when placed on their backs in empty cribs that meet the latest safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 2500 infants die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) each year. The AAP and the CPSC have urged parents not to use the kind of bumpers that a baby could sink into. Experts and manufacturers agree all those items that make the crib seem cuddly and cozy can block a baby’s nose and mouth and some sleeping babies may not wake up sufficiently to fight for air when this happens, leading to SIDS.

 Another reminder: This June it will be illegal to make, sell or resell any crib in the U.S. that doesn’t meet tough new federal standards. Drop-down sides which have been linked to 32 infant deaths since 2000, will be prohibited. New rules also require stronger slats, mattress supports and hardware to withstand active toddlers.

 Tags with the code 16 CFR 1219 for full size cribs and 16 CFR 1220 for compact cribs indicate the cribs meet the new standards. Hotels, day care centers, churches and other public accommodations have until December 2012 to make sure their cribs meet new safety standards.

As a Child Pedestrian Injury Attorney, I urge parents to discuss safe pedestrian rules with their children.

Motorists, please exercise more caution and observe speed limits while driving on Halloween.

Read more child pedestrian safety tips on Halloween here.

 Myth Number Four

 Myth: I have a 4 year old son and he weighs 33 lbs. I recently switched him to a booster because he is now 4. He still fits into his forward facing 5 point harness car seat, but I switched him anyway.

 Fact: In this case, the child is 33 pounds and has not outgrown his harness in the car seat even though he is 4 years old. He can and should continue using his existing 5 point harness car seat until it is outgrown. His harness may cover him until he weighs 40, 60 or even 80 pounds, depending upon the limits for his specific car seat. Parents should always check their child’s harnessed car seat to learn what the upper limits are for that particular seat. Do not rush to remove a child from the harnessed car seat into the booster seat just because he turns 4. The harness and car seat shell afford a child much more protection as long as it is not outgrown.
Signs that a child has outgrown his forward facing harness car seat include: Surpassing the height or weight requirement for the seat, the ears have reached the top of the seat, and/or the child’s shoulders are above the top harness slots. When a parent notices any of these things, it is necessary to obtain a new, properly fitting seat.

 Myth Number Five

 Myth: My daughter is 10 years old and some of her friends are still in boosters, and others are not. I’m overwhelmed by this entire car seat situation and there is no one formally trained to take a quick look at how she fits in the booster and help me figure out what is best for her safety.

 Fact: You’re in luck. There are over 34,000 certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians throughout the country who can help. These qualified individuals can assess your individual situation – whether you have an infant or an older child – and help guide you. It’s always best to bring your child and the car seat/booster when you see the technician to evaluate the fit and decide what steps to take. Remember to also bring your car seat instruction book and the vehicle owner’s manual to the inspection. (courtesy of Safe Kids)

As a personal injury lawyer, I know that child safety seats when used properly, are the most effective tools available to prevent death and child injury in a car crash.  Get involved in Child Passenger Safety Week and prevent child injury by making sure your child is properly restrained in an appropriate safety or booster seat.

Check below for more helpful information about child safety seats and online websites to visit this week:

www.AAA.com/SafeSeats4Kids

www.HealthyChildren.org

www.SeatCheck.org

Clearwater Child Injury Lawyer, your child safety advocate and author of “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries.” Available at No Cost to parents of a child injured in a Florida accident. Law Office of James W. Dodson  @1-888-340-0840   – Working to make safety every child’s reality.

Child Passenger Safety Week is observed every year nationwide. This year we observe it Sept. 19-25. The event sponsored by the “Safe Kids”  organization  is a time to remind parents and caregivers to keep children properly restrained in a car seat that meets their height and weight requirements – every time and everyday.

There still remains a lot of confusion particularly concerning booster seats. How do you know when your child needs one?  When can they ride without one? Booster seats when used appropriately greatly reduce the risk of  serious injury to a child  in a car accident.

 ”Boost” your knowledge about booster seats with the following info from Safe Kids:

Myth Number One

Myth: My child just turned 8 years old and I told him it was okay to not use a booster anymore. He is around 4 feet 3 inches.

Fact: Although this child is 8 years old, he is not tall enough to be out of a booster. A child needs to remain in a booster seat until a seat belt fits properly without the assistance of a booster, which is around 4 feet 9 inches. The purpose of a booster is to help position/raise a child so that the seat belt fits appropriately. If a backless booster comes with a separate shoulder belt positioning strap, use it to help with the proper adjustment of the shoulder belt. High back boosters have a factory installed positioning guide built onto the side of the booster to adjust up or down based on your child’s height. Be sure to use it for proper fit.

To determine whether your child is big enough to no longer use a booster, be sure you have him/her take The Safety Belt Fit Test . If he/she doesn’t pass all the steps, it’s not a big deal. Just be sure they continue using a booster with the seat belt, and retest in a couple months.

Myth Number Two

Myth: Boosters are not necessary for traveling short distances.

Fact: If a child meets the requirements to use a booster, then he/she needs to be in a booster at all times while driving in a car, even if you’re going around the corner to drop your child off at school or a friend’s house, or to pick up groceries at the local store.

Myth Number Three

Myth: Sometimes when I’m driving a lot of kids around (for example carpooling to a birthday party), I don’t have enough boosters for everyone. Since this only happens occasionally I don’t see it as a problem.

Fact: If a child needs a booster at any time, then he/she needs a booster ALL the time. If you don’t have enough boosters, never hesitate to borrow one from the families you are carpooling with. In fact, if all the children in the carpool cannot be properly restrained, then they shouldn’t be in the car.

Tune in tomorrow for Myths Number 4 and 5 and additional child safety seat information on our law firm’s Florida Child Injury Law blog.

Read the complete news article and get details on our Clearwater Florida Child Injury Lawyer consumer news website, click here.

Thank you for choosing our website as your resource for legal, health and safety information for your family.

 McNeil is the maker of children’s Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.  They issued the recall after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration.  It’s reported that some of the products may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than what is stated on the label. 

 Parents are being advised that they should not be giving the medication to their children.  This is said to be a precautionary measure.  The recall has been issued in the United States as well as eleven other countries.

 For product recall information, please visit the McNeil Consumer Healthcare website. 

 The Dodson Law Firm supports recalls that take quick and decisive action reducing the risk of child injury. 

 Florida Child Injury Attorney, working to make safety every child’s reality for more than twenty-five years.

  For a free case review please call our office toll free at (888) 340-0840. 

The ad headline, with an eye-catching  graphic read: “Why do most 16-year-olds drive like their missing part of their brain?  Because they are.” 

A teenager’s brain is not fully developed until their 20’s. The dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, the “missing part of the brain,” plays a major role in teenager’s decision-making and the understanding of consequences. That is why as parents of teen drivers, anxiety and a lot of prayer go along with seeing our young drivers pull out of the driveway; and a sigh of relief and thankfulness when they are home safely!

 Allstate reminds us  teen drivers, yes, even bright, seemingly mature teens sometimes do things the insurance people label as “stupid.”  But  they say- it’s not really their fault!

The company supports  the Standup Act, or the Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act of 2009.

 The law creates a National Graduated Driver Licensing law that would provide teens with  on-the-road experience gradually, while helping them avoid risky conditions.

 States that have implemented GDL programs  have seen the number of fatal crashes among 16-year-old drivers fall by almost 40%.

Florida instituted it’s GDL program on July 1, 1996. 

Florida Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson, working to make safety, every child’s reality.

Tampa police say  the alleged bullying transpired when the three girls slapped their classmate and threw her into a fence.  There have been other episodes, as well.  Investigators believe on another occasion, the victim was threatened while a rope was wrapped around her shoulders.

 The three youths have not given a reason for the abuse.  A case of bullying on a Tampa elementary school campus could lead to arrests.  Criminal charges are expected.

Bullying is tragically, a problem for thousands of school children each day.  For a comprehensive look at how to handle bullying ,  please visit KidsHealth.org.

The Dodson Law Firm provides this Florida child injury blog as a resource for families in an effort to educate parents and “to make safety every child’s reality.”

Call our Florida Personal Injury Law firm for a free consultation about your injury case @ 1-888-340-0840.

Teens, parents, educators, counselors, community activists and law-enforcement representatives will all join together in an open honest discussion related to the underage drinking and the effect that it has on all of our lives.

Prescription drug misuse will also be covered in this year’s meeting.  This is the 5^th year that WEDU has offered this forum.  This will be an opportunity to listen to the concerns and suggestions from all of the participants involved in the discussion.

The Dodson Law Firm applauds the efforts of WEDU-TV in producing this project to enhance the safety of children throughout the state of Florida.