Safe Kids Pierce County

Preventing accidental injury.

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Spot the Tot
 
The Spot the Tot kit is a great pedestrian safety tool that helps bring awareness to parents when they get into their vehicle.  With the height of a child, it is often difficult to see them out of the back window.  With the Spot the Tot kit, we are able to show parents how it can be hard to see children when backing up.
 
When doing the demonstration, parents sit in the vehicle, while the children stand on a mat directly behind.  The parents is asked to look in the rearview mirror and check if they can see the children.  If the answer is "no", the children move to the next circle behind them and continue until the parent can see them.  This often takes quite a bit of distance between the vehicle and where the children are standing.
 
This tool is a wonderful way to educate parents on the importance of walking around the vehicle before backing up.  It is estimated that more than 2,500 children are injured each year in the United States due to backovers.

 

Two other resources that are available are the Never Leave Your Child Alone and Trunk Entrapment kits. 
 
Never Leave Your Child Alone educates parents and caregivers the dangers of leaving children alone in cars, especially due to the sudden rise in temperature.
 
The Trunk Entrapment program educates parents, caregivers, and children that vehicles are not play areas.  This includes trunks, which may seem harmless, but can result in accidental entrapment. 

All cars made after 2001 are equipped with a trunk handle release in case of accidental entrapment.

 

For more information on these programs, please visit the website by clicking here.  To request these kits, please contact Safe Kids Pierce County Coordinator Michelle Nunez