March 2019 Newsletter

News on Heatstroke in motor vehicles, Pedestrian Safety, Distracted Driving, the Cyber-footprint of children and more

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10% off of our NEW! Bilingual CPS Guide for Parents

Distracted Driving: 10% off of $250 or more

March is Spring's gateway to dozens of safety events and celebrations: Distracted Driving Awareness, Bicycle Safety, and Youth Sports Safety Months, just to name a few.

I'm sure you've already signed up for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership newsletter but, if not, why not check it out? Signing up will get you some great information AND your discount code on bicycle and pedestrian safety items in plenty of time to order your event materials.

This month's e-news focuses on a mix of those upcoming event topics as well as heatstroke death figures from last year, an oddly startling article on the cyber-footprints of the next generation, and more.

If you'd prefer daily, bite-size portions of I'm Safe, I'd love to see you join us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

-Jamie and the I'm Safe Team

NEWS

	The psychological basis for hot car deaths ... How can parents unknowingly leave a child in a car? In a recent study, Professor David Diamond of the University of South Florida explored how brain memory systems fail. He cites factors such as 'autopilot' mode, stress, sleep deprivation, a lack of visual or verbal reminders and false memories. Read more here. *Need heat stroke awareness products now that the weather will be warming up? Call Jamie at 877-669-7233, ext 206 for more information on how you can customize our products.*
	Pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. increased by 35% in ten years according to the new Spotlight on Highway Safety report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Even with the national increase, pedestrian fatalities decreased in nine of the ten largest U.S. cities according to the Vision Zero Network. Of those nine, six are 'Vision Zero' cities.
	Bicycle safety events ... Bike to School Day and Bike to Work Week (and Day) are coming up in May. Not only are these events fun, they are also a great way to bring your community together and illustrate how safe (or not) your streets are to those in charge. Active Transportation and Public Health go hand in hand and a recent study provides data for a three-part series on how local health departments can increase Active Transportation, depending on their resource availability.
	Distracted Driving is at the top of the Top 10 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements for good reason. An NIH study shows that it's not just about cell phone use, which already double's a teen's risk for crashing. Reaching for things (that probably shouldn't be used while driving anyway) may increase that risk seven times! April 8-15 is NHTSA's campaign against texting and driving. Customize our Distracted Driving materials, such as our pledge cards, posters, bookmarks or displays in time for Distracted Driving Awareness Month. You can take 10% off orders of $250 or more.
	NEW! The Bilingual CPS Guide for Parents is now available to order, either standard or customized. With about 3 out of 4 car seats being installed incorrectly, this guide reminds parents of what they learned at car seat checks and is designed to supplement - with over 45 full color photos - their car seat and vehicle owners' manuals. *Email or call Jamie at 1-877-669-7233, ext 206 for an estimate.*
	Teen vaping in high schools has increased by approximately 80% in one year ... To help combat this trend, a bill has been introduced that would eliminate e-liquid flavors within one year. Proponents say there is no place for tobacco replacements with flavors like "Tutti Frutti". Opponents say that it's the flavors that keep ex-smokers from going back to traditional cigarettes.
	How do parents' social media posts affect their children? ... Most of us have had the experience of a family member sharing an embarrassing story at the dinner table. It's usually done with love, and it certainly wasn't heard by hundreds and thousands of people. What happens though, when we share those same stories on social media? Our children sometimes discover they already have a cyber footprint that they did not create, sign up for, or approve. And they may not be able to make it go away. Cyber bullying is now a huge part of childhood and young adulthood. Help kids (and their parents) understand how to respond to bullies and how to avoid behaving like one. Email us for more information on how to customize our bullying prevention materials.
	Protecting children on YouTube ... In an attempt to protect their younger viewers (and entertainers), YouTube is removing commentary from most videos/channels featuring children. Few channels will be allowed to enable the commentary section and, if allowed, will be responsible for high-quality monitoring. A shocking number of predatory comments were being made by trolls.
	Preparing for flood events ... EMR-ISAC and CDC highly recommend that public health agencies and communities have a plan in place prior to flooding events. Many areas are already experiencing flood waters and others have yet to experience "mud season" as the snow melts and spring precipitation turns to rain. And afterward, the coasts will experience events during hurricane season. Our "After the Storm" activity book helps children understand how to behave and recover after flooding and other storm-related events.