Dear Supporter,

Summer road trips can lead to some crazy situations, and I’m proof of it.

When I was a kid, summer road trips meant piling into the family station wagon for our standard drive to the Jersey Shore. That might not sound too crazy until you know that I am the oldest of eight children. Yup, six brothers and one sister, all crammed into the car, right there with the luggage. And as you can imagine, we had lots of luggage.

What we didn’t have were seatbelts (this was before the days when everyone wore seatbelts). But that wasn’t my concern back then. I just wanted to find some peace and quiet. Since I was the oldest, I got first choice of seats. I went for the best option, which meant squeezing right up in front between my parents. Isn’t that where you would go if you had seven screaming siblings behind you?

Looking back now, those trips in the old Plymouth are some of the memories I cherish most. Just one of the many magical things about family road trips.  

Kate Carr
President and CEO
Safe Kids Worldwide

My At-TENT-ive Sister To The Rescue

Thanks to everyone who showered us with water stories. It was a record turnout and we can’t thank you enough. All the stories were terrific but we had to pick one and our team at Safe Kids thought Sally Sutton’s was classic. We hope you do, too.   

My 2-year-old son,Ty, was parading around in his big cowboy boots at my mom’s pool. He was the only little person there. We had several big baseball players, and other adults, watching when Ty fell in the pool (shallow end). The big jocks just laughed. My older sister in a big tent dress jumped in to get my baby. The picture of my sister and that dress floating up was crazy. Ty was safe and is a fish now. The funny part was I am a retired lifeguard and I just stood there!

Exit Strategy

Your car is packed, the kids are buckled up, and you’re on the open road. Nothing can stop you now, right? Wrong. That’s when you hear that all too familiar howl that means “I want food” or “Change my diaper,” (you would think babies would know to say, “please.”) When this happens, please don’t worry about making good time. Instead, get off at the next exit and find a parking lot to feed or change your baby. Learn more.

Yelling Is Golden

Kids love cars and when they see a parked one, they don’t even think about the possibility of getting hurt. That’s why parents have to. On days when there might be children outside, walk around the car to check for kids and pets. Then, before you drive away, open your window and yell, “Are there any children near my car? I’m backing up now and I don’t want to hit anyone today.” Learn more.

When In Doubt, Take The Phone Out

We’re working with our friends at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to alert everyone about the dangers of heatstroke in children. Here is something we can all do to help: If you see a child alone in a car, please call 911. Emergency personnel are trained and ready to respond. One simple call can save a life. Learn more.

A Motorbike Built for … Too Many

The family car can take on an entirely different form in other parts of the world. In some countries, like the Philippines, entire families have no other option than to travel long distances on a single motorbike. Safe Kids Worldwide is working in 23 countries to identify safer ways for families to travel together. Learn more.

We have more than 600 teams of Safe Kids professionals doing some pretty cool events that might be perfect for you.

Here are just a few examples:

• Concord Night Out  - Safe Kids New Hampshire 8/7/2012.  A National Night Out with tons of fun things like an inflatable bouncy slide and K9 demonstrations to help promote cooperation between local police and the community.

• Safety Town – Safe Kids Cabarrus, NC  8/7 and 8/8/2012. Get the kids started early with two days of safety information (but in a fun way) for kindergarteners.

• Southern Knights Cruisers/MDA Car Show - Safe Kids Virginia  8/11/2012. Learn how to keep your kids safe in and around Classic Cars. The key to this is the Classic Cars part. The kids will love it.