1. Motor Vehicle Accidents In the United States, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 5 to 19. Emergency rooms around the country see almost 150 children per hour with serious injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident. A recent report in the Journal of Pediatrics reported that 43 percent of children who perish in car crashes aren’t properly restrained. In keeping up with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, Hawaii’s updated child safety seat laws require children under the age of 2 to be properly restrained in an approved rear-facing car seat, while car seats for by Max Vercruyssen PhD, Lillian Vitor MS, and Donna Mah MD Hawaii Academy, Honolulu In Hawaii, preventable injuries are responsible for death and disability in keiki ages 1-17 more than all other causes combined. These are shocking statistics, but the good news is that unintentional injuries are predictable and preventable. Through risk factor awareness, parents, caregivers, teachers and coaches are in a unique position to ensure children’s safety. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the six most common childhood injuries nationwide are motor vehicle accidents, drowning, suffocation, poisoning, burns, and falls. “Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children between the ages of 5 to 19.” 96 HAWAII PARENT March/April 2024
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