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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 6996 I 1., &OORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6996 February 5, 1985 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject: CHILD SAFETY SEAT PROGRAM The State Legislature on July 12, 1984 passed a mandatory restraint law for children in the State of Texas. This law became effective October 31, 1984 but enforcement was delayed until January 1, 1985. The purpose of this delay was to permit citizens a grace period to become familiar with the law and to purchase seats for those children specified in the legislation. Texas became the 49th state in the nation to adopt the law for the protection of its children. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of children in the United States. Car accidents in fact kill ten times as many children as all the diseases against which they are immunized. According to statistics of the Safety Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, statewide, 4,645 children under the age of four were injured in accidents last year when they were not restrained by safety seats. During the same period, 78 children were killed that were not restrained by some sort of safety seat. National statistics support the need for statewide use of car safety seats in the 0-4 age group in Texas. These figures show that Texas surpassed all other states with 382 deaths to children under the age of four during 1978-1982; that is 11 percent of the national total. In terms of years of life lost, Texas annually loses 226,107 years of life to premature death in motor vehicle accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of epilepsy, retardation, paralysis, neurological impairments, permanent tracheostomy, and developmental delays in children. Recent studies have indicated that up to 90 percent of the fatalities and 67 percent of the disabling injuries could have been prevented by proper use of child safety seats. According to the law now in effect, children age four and under can ride in automobiles only if they ride in federally approved car safety seats or wear approved seat belts. The new law provides *for a $25 to $50 fine for non-compliance. That is the approximate cost of buying or renting a safety seat. The cost of purchasing a child safety seat represents a significant investment for some families who cannot easily afford the seat. The City of Fort Worth recognizes the importance of the new law to protect children riding in automobiles and recognizes that not all of the residents of the city can afford the cost of a car seat. In order to meet this need, the City proposed to initiate a program to assist those residents not able to purchase them. The City, through the Health Department, will offer to assist in the purchase of seats for those clients referred by nurses from the Maternal Child Health Neighborhood Clinics. The clinics operate in seven of the City's Multi- Purpose Centers. Participants in the Health Department programs are required to meet income guidelines in order to participate in the programs. Participants 001k ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS IWORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6996 - p.2 February 5, 1985 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject: CHILD SAFETY SEAT PROGRAM of these programs will be the target population the City will assist in purchasing child safety seats. The City proposes to initiate this program with an initial investment of $5000 made to the Health Department. This money will be used to purchase approximately 160 convertible seats at a cost of approximately $30 each. Clients referred from the clinics will go to the Health Department on University Drive on either Tuesday or Thursday evenings between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to purchase the seats. The clients will pay $10 toward the purchase of the seats with the City paying the difference. The client's payment will be deposited in a revolving fund to assist in purchasing more seats. Clients purchasing the seats will receive instructions in the proper installation and use of the seat prior to leaving the Health Department. The Health Department will utilize one part-time person to administer the program. The Texas Department of Health, Region 5, has offered to assist the City of Fort Worth in establishing the program and will provide any training on the installation and usage of the safety seat that is required. Additionally, the State Health Department has bilingual brochures available that explain the new law and has offered to provide briefings to the Police Department explaining the new child restraint law. The Police Department has tentatively agreed to distribute a brochure to individuals of the City's program to include the hours of operation, an address and a telephone number to call for further information. The City of Fort Worth with the permission of the City Council will approach local foundations to provide the seed money necessary to initiate the child safety seat program. It is estimated that approximately $5,000 will be required to purchase enough seats to initiate the program. The Health Depart- ment in addition to the initial investment will pursue other sources of potential funding to include grants from state agencies. The City of Fort Worth is dedicated to improving the safety of its residents as further indicated by this innovative program. This program is not intended to be a one-time project, but instead, by using seed money provided by the private sector, the Health Department hopes to be able to provide seats at a reduced cost to those individuals and families that would otherwise be unable to afford a child safety seat. Vernell Sturns Acting City Manager VS:eop Attachments ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS