IT'S AS SIMPLE AS ABC

"Always Buckle Children in the Back Seat," is Optimist International's newest safety awareness program.

Because of the risk of serious injury to children from air bag deployment, Optimist International has teamed up with AutoLiv, a manufacturer of air bags, to encourage parents and caregivers to always buckle children in the back seat of a vehicle.

In an effort to help reduce motor vehicle-related injuries, the Noon Optimist Club of Jackson, and other area Optimist clubs, are conducting programs and distributing brochures informing persons of the potential dangers when children are not properly restrained. More than 3,000,000 brochures have been distributed by Optimists all over the nation.

Recent studies reveal that only about 60 percent of all children are buckled up on every ride and of those, almost 80 percent are not properly or correctly restrained.

Each year, nearly 1,400 children ages 14 and under, die in motor vehicle crashes and another 280,000 are injured -- most of them because they are not properly secured in their vehicles.

A large number of children involved in automobile accidents have been seriously injured and several have been killed because they were riding in the front seat of the vehicle when the air bag exploded. Air bags can prevent serious injury to an adult, but, because they deploy at the rate of more than 200 miles per hour, can actually cause death to a child.

One Jackson resident and a member of the Noon Optimist Club, had a frightening experience when the air bag in her car deployed.

Vickie Rinehart's vehicle was involved in a minor accident last spring, causing very little damage to the exterior of her automobile. But the explosion of the air bag cause $3,200 damage to the interior of her car.

The force of the air bag even broke out the windshield of her car. Her four year old daughter Sydnie escaped injury because she was safely buckled in the back seat.

The Jackson Noon Optimist club members are asking everyone to take the necessary precautions to keep children safe. ALWAYS BUCKLE CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT.

More information concerning the ABC program will be available from the Optimist booth August 29 at the "Summertime Blues" Safety Fair to be held in Jackson City Park.

"Summertime Blues" is an annual program conducted by the Jackson Police Department with a special emphasis on seat belt usage.

"Remember -- safety can be as simple as ABC," says Bev Nelson, Noon Optimist Club president.