April 7, 2008
Awards to be Presented to Members of Congress for Their Leadership
BACKGROUND: Since 2000, nearly 1,400 children have died in non-traffic incidents. The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, signed by President Bush on February 28, addresses design flaws in motor vehicles that contribute to three serious causes of preventable injuries and fatalities to young children: getting caught in an automatically closing power window, being struck by a backing vehicle because of an unacceptable blind zone; and placing a vehicle in gear that results in an uncontrolled roll away without having to depress the brake. The U.S. House passed the legislation on December 18, 2007 and the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2008.
WHAT: Celebrate the past five years of hard work to make sure children are safer in and around motor vehicles and present Congressional supporters with awards for their leadership.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 9, 2007, 9 a.m.
WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Room 253
WHO: Senator John Sununu (R-NH), Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Representative Peter King (R-NY), Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Janette Fennell, President, KIDS AND CARS, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Consumers Union, Public Citizen and families of seventeen children killed or injured in recent, preventable non-traffic incidents including:
Susan Auriemma, daughter Kate, age 3.5, backed over and injured on May 27, 2005 (Manhasset, NY)
Lyn Balfour, inadvertently forgot to drop her son Bryce, 9 months, at child care and died of hyperthermia on March 30, 2007 (Charlottesville, VA)
Meredyth Bryant, daughter Annabelle Riley, age 2.5, killed after being backed over on May 4, 2005 (Glen Allen, VA)
Steve & Shannon Campbell, son Drew, 26 months, backed over and killed on April 20, 2003 (Cincinnati, OH)
Aaron Chatten, daughter Madison Faith, 15 months, backed over and killed on May 3, 2005 (Glasgow, MT)
Britt Gates, daughter Zoie Beth, age 2.5, killed by a power window on November 3, 2001 (Anthony, KS)
Contact:
Beth Weaver (301) 814-4088
weaver_beth@comcast.net