Allstate, Joe Dumars and Children's Hospital of Michigan Team Up For Child Passenger Safety
7 July 1997
Allstate, Joe Dumars and Children's Hospital of Michigan Team Up For Child Passenger Safety
Allstate Launches 'All Kids Safe' Program at Celebrity Tennis Classic Benefit
DETROIT, July 7 -- Allstate Insurance Company, Detroit
Pistons' Captain Joe Dumars, and Children's Hospital of Michigan have joined
forces to provide valuable educational information on approved child safety
seats as well as information about air bags and children. The partnership
between Allstate and Children's Hospital will be formally kicked off at a
tennis clinic Dumars will host at Children's Hospital on Friday, July 11 at
noon as part of the Subway/Joe Dumars Celebrity Tennis Classic. A children's
tennis clinic will be held on the Brush Street Mall adjacent to Children's
Hospital.
"All Kids Safe" is a public education campaign developed by Allstate
Insurance and the American Academy of Pediatrics which focuses on auto
passenger safety for children. "All Kids Safe" will educate adults on the
correct use of infant and child safety seats, child booster seats and safety
belts. Printed materials available to the public free of charge include the
Family Shopping Guide to Car Seats. This user-friendly brochure highlights
guidelines on how to select the most appropriate seat and use it properly as
well as the features and costs of various manufacturers' car seats. The "All
Kids Safe" materials, which also includes a $5 off coupon for car seats sold
at Toys R Us, will be distributed during the Celebrity Tennis Classic
activities, which includes a celebrity doubles tournament featuring Detroit
Red Wings Sergei Fedorov, Darren McCarty and Kris Draper. Also participating
in the tournament will be Dave Bing, Mel Farr and Detroit Police Chief Isaiah
McKinnon.
"When we learned of the car seat loan/lease program offered by Children's
Hospital of Michigan, and Joe Dumars' commitment to the hospital and children,
we saw it as a great opportunity to combine our resources in an effort to
educate the public and reduce the number of injuries caused when car seats and
seat belts are not used correctly," said Janet Moore, Community Relations
Manager for Allstate. "The program at Children's Hospital provides infant and
toddler seats to patients and financially disadvantaged families. We can
support them financially through the Allstate Foundation, and with our 'All
Kids Safe' materials."
"As the parent of two young children, I found the number of accidents
involving kids to be extremely alarming," said Dumars. "I believe Allstate's
efforts are not only necessary but essential to ensure the safety of our
children."
Automobile crashes are a leading cause of death among our nation's
pre-school age children. Hundreds of youngsters die in car crashes every year
and 80,000 are injured. Experts report that 70% of these deaths and severe
injuries could be prevented through the proper use of car seats. According to
the Michigan State Police, a total or 1,474 people were killed and 138,405
were injured in Michigan traffic crashes in 1996. Over 10% of the deaths and
injuries were children under the age of 16, many of whom were not properly
restrained.
"With the growing concerns of air bags and child safety, Allstate
recommends, through our 'All Kids Safe' brochure, that parents never place a
rear-facing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side
air bag," says Kathryn L. Honaker, Regional Vice President for Allstate
Insurance Company, Detroit Regional Office. "We believe that in vehicles with
passenger-side air bags, the back seat of the vehicle is the safest place for
a child of any age to ride."
"We are delighted to partner with Joe Dumars and Allstate to underscore
the importance of transporting kids safely," said Nancy Delaney, Coordinator
of the Child Passenger Safety Program at Children's Hospital of Michigan. "By
providing funding for car seats and the necessary information on how to use
them, we can effectively promote safety and injury prevention to make a
difference in our community."
Michigan law states that infants under one year of age must be properly
buckled into a child safety seat regardless of where they ride in the vehicle.
Children under the age of four must also be in a child safety seat if they
ride in the front seat. As back seat passengers, they may use the regular
seat belt, but must ride buckled.
The Allstate Corporation , the parent of Allstate Insurance
Company, is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurance
company. The Allstate Foundation grants funds to nonprofit organizations in
the areas of automobile and highway safety, neighborhood revitalization and
personal safety and security.
Children's Hospital, a member of the Detroit Medical Center, is recognized
internationally as a leader in health care and research.
For more information on the Celebrity Tennis Classic, call 248-645-1010.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company
