Who Was That Masked Man?

Each year more than 1,400 children die as motor vehicle passengers, and an additional 280,000 are injured. Despite these horrifying figures, parents are still allowing their children to ride unrestrained. More disturbing is the fact that of children who are buckled up, roughly half are restrained incorrectly—increasing the risk of serious or fatal injuries. Tragically, most of these injuries could have been prevented. Car seats are proven life savers, reducing the risk of death by 69 percent for infants and 47 percent for toddlers. With programs like the Child Passenger Protection Grants, we can prevent these senseless deaths and injuries by increasing awareness in our communities. In my district, the Drivers’ Appeal for National Awareness (DANA) Foundation has worked tirelessly to increase public awareness for child passenger safety. Joe Colella, from Montgomery County, founded the DANA Foundation in memory of his niece, Dana, who died because of injuries sustained in a crash while riding in a child restraint that was installed with an incompatible system. Joe deserves great credit for bringing the incompatibility problem to the attention of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and to Congress. Because of the DANA Foundation’s efforts, the nation is now better educated and aware about the proper installation of children’s safety seats in motor vehicles. Protecting our children is a national issue that deserves national attention. I urge my colleagues; to support H.R. 691, as well as other noble efforts to increase child passenger safety.