DQ2-2
School aged Children are increasingly exposed to many hazards that cause accident and injury. The most common causes of injuries in this age group are car crashes, bicycle crashes, and fires. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expands this list to include the following.
1.Motor vehicle (CDC 2012)
2.Suffocation (CDC 2012)
3.Drowning (CDC 2012)
4.Poisoning (CDC 2012)
5.Fire/Burns (CDC 2012)
6.Falls (CDC 2012)
7.Sports and recreation risks. (CDC 2012)
Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children in the United States (CDC). Injuries are not always preventable regardless of their nature. A common sense approach can lead to a reduction in injuries. Driving safely including the proper use of seatbelts or car seats, removal of plastic bags from young children, teaching swimming and supervision when in water, removal of house hold toxins, fire safety, and use of bicycle helmets are taught in school to kids (HHS).
The CDC calls for efforts to reduce injuries by focusing on what term the 3 P’s; education, enforcement, and engineering. Education is used by the schools to teach children basic safety. New parents are often taught the proper way to use child restraint seats in the car. Locally, in my area the state police have no fault safety checks in which your car seat and the use of it can be examined for proper fit. These clinics are conducted in a big box retailer’s parking lot so that all a parent needs to do is drive up. If fault is found in the use of the car safety seat, education is given out rather than a citation. The second E is enforcement. Examples include laws and ordinances requiring the use of child safety seats and bicycle helmets and enforcement of speeding limits and healthy housing codes. Adequately enforcing laws, ordinances, and regulations increases their effectiveness (CDC 2012).
Lastly, Engineering or product design is used to reduce the chance of an injury event or to reduce the amount of energy to which someone is exposed. Think of how many different designs of bicycle helmets are seen in the store or variety of car seats with built in safety features. A glance through Wal-Mart reveals flame-resistant sleepwear for children, safety surfaces for kids to play on, and toys without small parts. Through design and research these products came to the market to protect our children.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2012) Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries are Preventable. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/safechild/NAP/background.html
U.S. Department of Health & Human Service. (2008) Preventing Childhood Injuries. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2008/05/t20080501e.html