The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury, the leading killer of children ages 14 and under. Since the launch of the Campaign in 1988, America has witnessed a dramatic reduction in unintentional injury-related mortality. Although the Campaign cannot take sole credit for this decline, it has played a major role in generating activity at the national level and through its network of more than 280 State and Local SAFE KIDS Coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

UNINTENTIONAL INJURY-RELATED DEATH RATES

• The unintentional injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined more than 33 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The motor vehicle occupant death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 9 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The bicycle injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 48 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The pedestrian injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 42 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The drowning death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 37 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The residential fire injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 50 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The airway obstruction injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 15 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The unintentional firearm injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 49 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The fall injury death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 33 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  
• The poisoning death rate among children ages 14 and under declined by 27 percent from 1987 to 1997.
  

INJURY PREVENTION EFFORTS

Child Safety Seats

• More than 375,000 child safety seats have been distributed by State and Local SAFE KIDS Coalitions to families in need since the launch of the Campaign.
  

Bicycle Helmets

• Sixteen states and numerous localities have enacted and/or strengthened some form of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation since the launch of the Campaign.
  
• More than 1 million bicycle helmets have been distributed by SAFE KIDS Coalitions since the launch of the Campaign.
  
• Bicycle helmet use among children in the United States ranges from 15 to 25 percent, as compared to one percent helmet usage when the Campaign launched its bicycle safety program in 1989.
  

Fire And Burns

• More than 100,000 smoke alarms and batteries have been distributed by SAFE KIDS Coalitions since the launch of the Campaign's fire safety program in 1991.
  
• All national and regional code-making bodies have amended their plumbing code language to require anti-scald technology and a maximum water heater temperature of 120 degrees F in all newly constructed residential units.
  

The first full year of funding for the Campaign began in 1988. Therefore, 1987 is used as benchmark data from which to establish trends.

12/99 This information was compiled by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.