Mitsubishi Motors and Kids Safety First Program to Conduct Safety Seat Checks at 13 Mitsubishi Dealerships Nationwide for Child Passenger Safety Week

CYPRESS, Calif., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19 – 25), Mitsubishi Motors and Kids Safety First (KSF), in conjunction with Dorel Juvenile Group USA, a division of Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), will host child safety seat inspection events at 13 Mitsubishi dealerships in seven states - Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Florida and Arizona.

At the events, families will receive hands-on instruction from certified child passenger safety technicians on how to properly select, install and use their child restraint systems. Certified technicians have been through extensive training with a national standardized course, and have field experience.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 3 to 14 years old. Four children in the U.S. are killed in motor vehicle crashes each day and 529 additional children are injured. National data show that 73% of child restraints are critically misused, and local events see 80%-90% overall misuse rates. Only slightly more than half of children ages four through eight ride in child restraints at all (including boosters), exposing them to increased danger.  When used properly, child restraints reduce the likelihood of an infant under the age of 1 being killed in a vehicle crash by 71%, and by 54% for toddlers one to four years old. Booster seats reduce injuries by 45% over seat belts alone for children ages four to eight.

"We founded Kids Safety First to educate parents and caregivers about the proper use of child safety seats and booster seats," said Jorgen Weterrings, co-founder of the CA-based 501(c)(3) organization.  "As parents of young children, we experienced first-hand the confusion parents often face in selecting and using the right child safety seats as their children grow and age."  

The all-volunteer, grassroots, non-profit organization provides free automotive child safety materials to police, fire and rescue, hospitals, schools and pre-natal centers throughout the United States.  Weterrings and KSF co-founder PK Shrivastava collectively have over 40 years of experience in automotive technology and safety.  

KSF materials include: A guideline card; a poster; a detailed website – www.kidssafetyfirst.org (in English, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese); a coloring book; stickers, and T-shirts.  The program also includes a video.  Weterrings and Shrivastava worked in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to develop the materials.  

Dorel Juvenile Group USA is also partnering in the effort by donating more than $25,000 worth of car seats to the effort, which will be used to replace unsafe and expired seats to ensure that children leave the events as safely as possible.  Dorel is the largest manufacturer of children's car seats globally, with 90 percent of the Company's North America car seats produced in Columbus, Indiana.  Dorel's portfolio of leading car seat brands includes Cosco, Safety 1st, Eddie Bauer and Maxi-Cosi.  

"Dorel Juvenile Group has a long history of safety innovation and this year, we mark the 25th anniversary of our Safety 1st brand," said Dave Taylor, president of Dorel Juvenile Group USA. "A core value at Dorel is to ensure the safety and general well-being of children across the globe.  Efforts like this help make children riding in the back seats of cars safer and we are a strong supporter of these types of educational programs."

To date, more than 4 million sets of KSF materials have been distributed across the country.  For additional information or to order materials please visit www.kidssafetyfirst.org.

Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25) is an annual campaign to bring public attention to the importance of properly securing all children in appropriate safety seats, booster seats or seat belts – every trip, every time.  The campaign ends on September 25 with "National Seat Check Saturday" when certified child passenger safety technicians will provide advice and hands-on child safety seat inspections nationwide for free.

The scheduled child passenger safety inspection stations are as follows:

About Dorel Industries

Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company.  Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company's lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products.  Dorel's powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bebe Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Iron Horse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure.  Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported.   Dorel is a US$2 billion company with 4500 employees, facilities in nineteen countries, and sales worldwide. 

SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors