“Hispanics and African American children are 10 times less likely to be properly restrained in a vehicle.” (Source: American Journal of Preventative Medicine.)
When I read that statistic, my first thought was… not another statistic telling me that I am doing something wrong as an African American parent. But, then I did what I always do. I dug deeper to understand what organization is putting out this statistic, who were the people surveyed, and what is their motive for sharing this statistic. I don’t blindly dismiss or agree with statistics without first doing my homework. And what I found out made me change my actions (immediately) as they pertain to securing my children properly in our vehicles.
I became aware of this statistic via the information that is shared by the Buckle Up for Life program. This program was started by Toyota and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to educate families to help keep child passengers safe. And since starting in 2004, they’ve reached more than 17,000 people in 11 cities. Toyota has provided funding to give away 40,000 child car seats to families in need. So, what’s their motive? It’s to make a tangible difference. They want to make child passenger safety a priority, every day… for everyone… in all communities.
Another thing that came to my attention via their site, is that I really was not properly securing our 3 youngest kids in our cars. And via the tools and resources that they made available, I was able to make the proper changes and educate my entire family on child passenger safety. The other day I heard my 12 year old daughter tell her Grandma that she could no longer ride in the front seat with her. Because through the Buckle Up For Life program, we learned that kids 12 and under should not sit in the front seat. I was smiling ear to ear when I heard that she really grasped the concepts and that she was following them, even when I was not around.
Buckle Up For Life is now celebrating their 10 year anniversary. And to help them celebrate and spread the word about child passenger safety, we will be giving away 5 Evenflo Car Seats to our BMWK readers.
Prize Description:
5 lucky winners will win one Evenflo car seat each. The car seats will be matched to the child, so the winner will need to provide the child’s age and weight. Depending on the child’s age and weight, the winner will receive one of the following:
A Convertible car seat: this type of car seat can be used from birth up to 55 lbs and it can be installed rear and forward facing
A Booster seat: these type of seats are for older children who have outgrown their regular forward facing car seat but still haven’t reached the height of 4 feet, nine inches.
How to Enter:
Follow the instructions below. There is one mandatory step to enter. All others are optional and give you additional chances to win. Please be sure to read the terms and conditions as this giveaway is for US residents only.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post brought to you by Toyota. I have partnered with them to spread the word about the Buckle Up for Life program. For more information on child passenger safety, visit https://buckleupforlife.org . All opinions and stories are my own.