‘Touch a Truck’ Event on Safe Kids Day - Celebrating Kids, Preventing Injuries, and Saving Lives

Safe Kids Huron Valley will celebrate Safe Kids Day on Saturday, May 10, by joining the Success by 6 Great Start Parent Collaborative and other organizations to host children at the annual ‘Touch a Truck’ event.  The free event will be held at Ypsilanti Community High School, 2095 Packard, from 9 a.m. to noon and will provide kids a chance to explore various public safety trucks and utility vehicles.  Among the more than 25 vehicles featured will be a postal truck, police tank, fire trucks, a monster truck, school buses, a concrete cement mixer truck, and a US Army Reserve Humvee. 

Safe Kids Huron Valley, a non-profit organization, working to raise parents’ awareness on ways they can protect their kids from preventable injuries, will participate by demonstrating to parents how to properly install their child’s safety seat in their vehicle.   In Washtenaw and Livingston counties, Safe Kids Huron Valley’s technicians host free child seat inspections at monthly events held at six locations. Since January, Safe Kids Huron Valley has checked nearly 477 seats, and by the end of the year is expected to surpass its 2013 record of 1,589 seat checks. 

Other educational events hosted for parents throughout the year by Safe Kids Huron Valley are focused on infant safe sleep habits; fire, water, and home safety; Walk to School Day; poison prevention, and sports safety.

Regrettably, preventable injuries are the greatest killer of kids 14 and under.  In fact, every year, 9,000 families in the U.S. and a million families around the world lose a child because of a preventable injury.  

“In Washtenaw and Livingston counties, we've had our share of preventable injuries to children,” said Amber Kroeker, Safe Kids Huron Valley coordinator and Injury Prevention Health Educator for Mott Children’s Hospital.   “Motor vehicle accidents are at the top of the preventable injury list due to an incorrect child safety seat being used and/or installed incorrectly in the vehicle.”

Support for Safe Kids Huron Valley helps to continue the organization’s efforts to educate parents.  Donations can be made by visiting the following link, and all donations are tax deductible.  (Safe Kids Huron Valley donations:  http://give.safekids.org/fundraise/team?ftid=28589 )

“In recognition of Safe Kids Day, we are asking every family to take the ‘Safer in 7’ Challenge, which includes seven simple steps to keep kids safe,” said Kroeker.    

Safer in 7 Challenge

·         Check your car seat to make sure it’s snug. Tug on your kid’s car seat where the seat belt goes. If it moves more than 1” at the base, tighten it up. To schedule a free car seat check near you, go to www.safekids.org.

·         Do a quick check of the TVs in your home. Secure TVs and furniture to the wall. Mount flat screen TVS and keep bulky-style TVs on a low and stable base.

·         Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Don’t forget to replace batteries each year and devices every 10 years.

·         Keep medicines up and away. Scan your home for places kids can get into medicine. It is pills in purses, vitamins on counters and medicines in daily reminder boxes that curious kids get into.

·         Check your home for button batteries. These come in musical greeting cards, remote controls and key fobs. Keep these devices out of reach of little fingers.

·         Talk to coaches about concussion prevention and sports safety training. It’s important for players, parents and coaches to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions, know how to stay hydrated, and learn how to avoid overuse injuries.

·         Put devices down when walking. Take action against distraction by teaching kids to look up and pay extra attention when using headphones, cell phones or electronic devices. Make it a rule to put these devices down when crossing the street.

For more information, visit www.safekids.org