Wood County Safe Communities announced that there have been 6 fatal crashes in Wood County for the calendar year 2019, compared to 7 for the same time frame in 2018.

Outside of crashes, heatstroke is the number one vehicle-related killer of children in the United States.  Approximately one child every nine days will die due to vehicular heatstroke. In fact, in 2018, there were 52 preventable deaths of children in vehicles. This makes 2018 the year with the most fatalities that we have had in four years nationwide.

A child’s body temperature can rise more than five times faster than an adult, and heatstroke can occur with outside temperatures as low as 57 degrees. On an 80-degree day, a car can reach a deadly heat level in just about 10 minutes.

Here are some tips for caregivers to prevent heatstroke:

• NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unattended. Even for a minute.
• Make it a habit to look in the back seat when exiting the car – EVERY TIME.
• ALWAYS lock the car and put the keys out of reach of children.

Simple Steps for bystanders to prevent heatstroke:

• Make sure the child is okay and responsive. If not, call 911 immediately.
• If the child appears to be okay, attempt to locate the parents of have the facility’s security or management page the car owner over the PA system.
• If there is someone with you, have one-person actively search for the parent while other(s) wait at the car.
• If the child is not responsive and appears to be in distress, attempt to get into the car to assist the child – even if that means breaking the window.

Far too many children have been inadvertently left in vehicle or have gotten into a vehicle on their own. Vehicular heatstroke tragedies change the lives of parents, families, and communities forever. So, remember to look before you lock!

For More Information:

• Lt. Angel Burgos, Ohio State Highway Patrol: 419-352-2481
• Sandy Wiechman, Safe Communities Coordinator: 419-372-9353 or swiechm@bgsu.edu

Wood County Safe Communities announced today that there have been 5 fatal crashes in Wood County for calendar year 2019, compared to six for the same time frame in 2018.

During a crash, being buckled up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas being completely thrown out of your vehicle almost always leads to injury. Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers.

Data from NHTSA show that nearly half (48%) of the 22,441 occupants killed in crashes in 2015 were unbuckled. In addition, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts, compared to 40 percent killed during the daytime. Men continue to outnumber women in not wearing seat belts – 52 percent to 42 percent respectively. Pickup truck occupants tend to be the lowest among any other vehicle type in wearing seat belts –59 percent of drivers killed were not wearing a seat belt, compared to 54 percent for SUV drivers, 42 percent for passenger car drivers, and 41 percent for van driver.

Though some believe airbags can replace seat belts in the event of an accident, the force of being thrown into a rapidly opening airbag could injure or even kill. Airbags were designed to work in conjunction with seat belts to maximize safety efforts. Your pelvis and rib cage are more able to withstand crash force than other parts of your body, which is why it’s important to secure your seat belt over these areas. If impact should occur, these areas will be able to take more of the pressure from seat belts and airbags to protect the rest of the body.

Ejection from the vehicle remains one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash. In fatal crashes, about 80 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who were totally ejected from the vehicle were killed. Seat belts are very effective in preventing total ejections.

There are several steps you can take to get the best seat belt fit for your safety. When buying a car, test the belts provided to see if they are a good fit for you. You can talk to your car dealer about options for seat belt adjusters and extenders if necessary. For those with older vehicles, your seat belt may be outdated for current standards. Check with the vehicle manufacturer to determine the best option for you.

Click it or Ticket!