Protecting Kids from Road Trauma

To mark Global Road Safety Week Candor Trust is commencing a parent centred campaign to reduce deaths in the 0-25 age group. Info packs can be ordered by Comunity facilities or workers via e-ml to the Trust (available May).

The LTNZ collated toll in the prior year to date is up 25 people and many more injuries on the year previous, and there are increases seen in every age group barring the 41-60 year olds.

Despite a damning report from the OECD in 2004 placing us in the worst 4 countries for carnage wrought on child travellers our child deaths toll increased nearly four fold the past 6 years.

And increasingly outrageous incidents being reported by the news media such as the drunk servo Dad and the crash of the stoned methadone mum at Springfield have highlighted that driver impairment is a major factor.

The Public has a dangerous misconception that speed is the big road reaper, and could lately be forgiven for thinking most people die on urban roads.

The fact is that 9 out of 10 people die in side impacts when not checking at intersections, in head-ons or in run off road crashes after striking objects. The vast bulk of the dead were traveling at a reasonable within limit speeds of 70 - 98 k/ph.

Only 18% of the fatal crashes will have involved exceeding posted limits. The other 80% is mostly to do with poor driving skill or intoxication on someones part.

'Road Safety in New Zealand is still missing the point with it's excess focus on speed, we have record ticket numbers issued - 740,120 and to what advantage given a massive increase in injury producing crashes ever since 2000?

Despite the use of child safety seats children from lower socio-economic areas continue to die or be crippled at phenomenal rates as pedestrians or equally as vulnerable vehicle occupants.

Car seats for intoxicated drivers kids are a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted - nice, but there are no guarantees. The 5-12s are high risk.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Transport and Candors own tracking of drug driving (not generally prosecuted) show this is largely due to unabated drink and drug impaired driving.

The Police focus upon aiming a drivers around schools is achieving nothing, as that is not where the casualties are happening. They need to reappraise this 'speed kills kids' strategy fast.

Currently they are just going after a hypothetical much over hyped issue that could exist, but really is not significant in child injury causation, not down under anyway.

Candor has a big problem with the use of generic global road safety initiatives. Speed might kill a lot, maybe thousands of kids in Pattaya or Bombay, but how is that relevant to NZ's situation, asks Trust Educator Urs Te Aho.

The speed limits have been altered where they may have been too high around schools for the most part, so it is time now to look at the hard basket issues.

The Trust would like to see Police getting behind our 'Every Child Deserves a Designated Driver Campaign,' which is to run for the next year.

They can do this by introducing roadside tests to targeting parents driving stoned on pot, P or when they are abusing prescription drugs. Abuse of 2 prescription drug classes - benzos and opiates is an equal or greater problem than illicits.

Caring for Kids If You're in an Accident

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury in Kiwi kids. Car accidents expose children to great risk of bad head injuries, damage to their liver and spleens, and shock from blood loss.

Careful driving without fatigue or intoxication and using car seats correctly can help protect your family. People shoulfd not drive kids for 3 hours after a joint or if groggy or light headed from use or abuse of prescription drugs.

But even the safest driver can become a crash victim as we can little control for others actions.

What to do in an emergency

1. Turn off the ignition, because fuel could be leaking creating a fire risk. Next you should turn on your hazard lights.

2. Trying to stay calm get help; either call 111 or flag down another car or a bystander. If your car is on the side of the road and you exit, try to stay in front of it.

3. Check if anyone is injured. If your child is hurt, follow the instructions on the facing page.

Remember not to move anyone unless the car is on fire or is stuck in a precarious position, such as in the path of oncoming traffic.

4. If everyone is okay, take down the name, phone number, license plate number, and insurance information of any other drivers involved.
Treating Injuries at the Scene

You can help your child -- and maybe even save her life -- in the minutes before the ambos and other services arrive by taking a few simple actions.

Injury: Your child is unconscious.

If unconscious but breathing, wait for services to arrive.

If not breathing, lift the chin to open his airway. If the child is still not breathing, remove from his car seat, position him on his back, and lift his chin again.

Place your mouth over his (mouth and nose for children under 6), and give two short breaths. Check for a pulse.

If there is no pulse, administer CPR. If there is a pulse, continue giving one breath every three seconds until help arrives or your child is breathing on his own.

Injury: Your child is bleeding.

Apply firm, direct pressure to the wound with a gauze bandage, a wad of tissue, or a T-shirt or other clothing. Do not remove pressure at all for five to ten minutes, depending on the severity of the cut. You can have the child do this herself if able.

Injury: Your child's arm hurts and is bent at a weird angle.

Don't try to straighten it out. Just look for a board or a piece of cardboard to use as a splint. Have your child rest her arm on it, then wrap it carefully with tape or a shirt and wait for help to arrive.

Injury: Your child has neck pain or is short of breath.

Wait for help and do not move your child unless it's essential. If he has a broken vertebra or rib, and you move him, the vertebra could cause a spinal cord injury making the child crippled, or the broken rib could easily puncture a lung.

ENDS

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