Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City—Utah Child Safety Program Goes Nationwide
Spot the Tot Campaign Adopted by National Safe Kids Coalition

(Salt Lake City, UT) -- When Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC), Safe Kids Utah and the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) joined forces to save children's lives last year, they had no idea the rest of the country would take notice. But the Spot the Tot campaign caught the attention of Safe Kids USA, and this month, the organization is launching the program in 10 cities across the country. The kickoff took place Sept. __ in Washington, D.C., headquarters for Safe Kids USA, and will come back home to Salt Lake City for a re-launch Sept. 28.

"This danger touches every community across the country," said Torine Creppy, director of child passenger safety for Safe Kids Worldwide. "We are thrilled to bring Safe Kids Utah's innovative prevention program to those communities and are confident it will save lives," she added. "Since the coalition was formed in 1995, Safe Kids Utah has been a leader in child safety initiatives and is an example to the hundreds of other local coalitions in this country."

"We developed Spot the Tot because of the growing number of Utah children who were being hurt and killed in driveways and parking lots," said Safe Kids Utah Coordinator Sharon Hines-Stringer. "We have so many families with young children and large vehicles -- a dangerous mix -- that we saw an urgent need help families remember to check around their cars for children before getting behind the wheel," she said.

From 1997-2005, 36 Utah children under age 10 were killed and more than 570 were injured in vehicle rollovers. Most of the vehicles were trucks, vans and SUVs, and most were driven by a relative of the victim. Of the deaths, 26 (72%) occurred from 2002-2005.

The re-launch of Spot the Tot in Salt Lake City is timely. Already in September, two toddlers have died in rollovers. The launch event featured "education stations," where families learned about vehicle safety, including trunk entrapment and the dangers of leaving a child alone in a vehicle.

"'Spot the Tot' focuses on drivers but we also need to teach children how to behave around cars," said PCMC Child Advocacy Manager Janet Brooks. "For example, kids shouldn't play in driveways or in or around parked cars." Safe Kids Utah offers three easy tips to help keep children safer:

• Caregivers are urged to firmly hold the hand of children when near vehicles.


• Drivers are cautioned to look for children, even if they do not have children of their own. That means adults in parking lots and driveways where children could be playing nearby should do an additional safety check.


• Drivers should walk all the way around a parked vehicle to check for kids, toys and pets before entering the car and starting the motor.

"We're all in a hurry today, but taking just five seconds to walk around your car before getting in to drive could save a life," said Hines-Stringer. "And it could be the life of your own child or grandchild."

For more information, contact Janet Brooks at 801.662-6580.

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