FAST FACTS UPDATE

• Every week, at least four small children are killed and many more injured in nontraffic incidents when they are either backed over by the family car or a neighbor’s vehicle, when a power window is closed on their head, neck, or limb, or when someone, usually a child, accidentally puts a vehicle into gear. Last year, more than 200 children died. These tragedies can be prevented with relatively inexpensive safety technologies and increased public awareness about the problem.

• Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John Sununu (R-NH) and Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill) and Peter King (R-NY) have been leading the fight for enactment of the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007 (S. 694 and H.R. 1216). This legislation would reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside and outside of motor vehicles. The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue safety standards to address three key problem areas in vehicles -- blind zones, power window design, and vehicles that can easily be shifted out of park without stepping on the brake pedal. Also included in the bill is a data collection provision and consumer education program to help and encourage parents to keep children safe in and around vehicles.

• The House and Senate bills have widespread, bipartisan support among Democratic and Republican Members of Congress. To date, close to 60 members of Congress are cosponsoring these bills.

• On May 16, 2007, the Members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, under the leadership of Democratic Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and Republican Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-AK) unanimously approved S. 694 with some changes in the legislative language. The bill must now be considered by the full Senate. Similar legislation also must be approved by the House of Representatives before the bill can make its way to the President’s desk for final approval.

• The legislation, S. 694, approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule on a rearward visibility standard to allow drivers to see the area behind their vehicle when backing up, within 36 months of the bill’s enactment. The legislation would not require a particular technology, such as back-up cameras, to be installed in all cars. The bill simply calls for adoption of a rearward visibility “performance standard” that allows automakers to use any technology that satisfies the requirements of the standard.

• Technologies like rear bumper sensors and rear-view cameras allow drivers to detect objects behind their vehicles when backing up. In fact, many high-end models already are equipped with these types of cost effective technologies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency within DOT responsible for vehicle safety, estimates the cost for rear cameras to be approximately $325. Based on the principle of economies of scale, the price could be expected to drop significantly if automakers install them as standard equipment in more vehicles.

• The legislation also makes permanent an agreement most automakers have already signed on to – to fix the problem of parked vehicles that can be put into gear by children. Known as brake transmission shift interlock, or BTSI, this safety technology requires the driver to step on the brake pedal before the gear shift lever can be moved out of “park.” This fail-safe design prevents young children from shifting an automatic transmission into gear because they cannot reach the brake pedal. The estimated cost for this safety feature is only about $5 a vehicle. Under the legislation, motor vehicles with automatic transmissions would be required to have this safety feature by 2010. Before that date, public notice would be given about vehicles that lack this safety feature.

• In addition, the legislation would require the Secretary of Transportation to formally begin to consider a rule on the need to require power windows to automatically reverse direction if there is an obstruction in the path of a power window or panel.

• Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers these problems pose for young children. Therefore, the legislation requires the DOT to develop a consumer information program to provide information on safety hazards for children in and around motor vehicles.

• In addition, the legislation requires DOT to establish a database to collect statistics on nontraffic incidents that result in deaths and injuries to children in and around motor vehicles.

• In addition to Consumers Union, this common sense legislation has been endorsed by a wide range of groups, including KIDS AND CARS (www.kidsandcars.org), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (www.saferoads.org), the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), Public Citizen (www.citizen.org), the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) (www.ena.org), Kids in Danger (www.kidsindanger.org), the Jackson Smith Peck Childrens Foundation (www.jspfoundation.com), Trauma Foundation (www.traumaf.org), The Zoie Foundation (www.thezoiefoundation.org), Adrianna’s Rule Foundation (www.adriannasrule.org), Veronica’s Eyes Foundation (www.veronicaseyes.org), the Center for Auto Safety (www.autosafety.org), the Consumer Federation of America (www.consumerfed.org) and more.

Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, May 29, 2007