Injury Prevention and Child Fatality Review Section
Safe Kids Program
Read the Eighteenth Annual Arizona Child Fatality Review Program Report.
In this report, the State Child Fatality Review Team includes many recommendations to prevent future child deaths.
A member of the National
Safe Kids Campaign
SAFE KIDS Are No Accident!
"If a disease were killing our children at the rate unintentional injuries are, the public would be outraged and demand that this killer be stopped."
C. Everett Koop, M.D.
Retired Chairman
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
What is the Arizona Safe Kids Coalition?
Arizona Safe Kids is a state-wide program dedicated to the prevention of unintentional injury for Arizona's children under 15 years of age. Arizona Safe Kids is a member of the National Safe Kids Campaign. Local Safe Kids Coalitions throughout Arizona receive leadership and technical assistance from Arizona Safe Kids.
Why is this program needed?
Childhood injuries remain the leading cause of death for Arizona's children.
- Vehicle Crashes
- 50% of preventable child deaths in Arizona in 2009 were due to unintentional injury (accidents) according to the Arizona Child Fatality Review Program. Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of injury.
- 60% of the child passengers who died in motor vehicle accidents in 2009 were not using restraints. (Arizona Child Fatality Review Program)
- Over 10% of Arizona’s children ride unrestrained and more than 85 percent of child safety seats are installed, placed, or used incorrectly (Governors Office of Highway Safety)
- Child safety seats are 71% effective in reducing fatalities among infants (younger than 1 year old), 54% effective for toddlers (1 to 4 years old), and booster seats in children (4 to 8 years old) are 59% more effective than vehicle safety belts (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- Drowning
- Drowning is the second most common cause of injury. In 2009, the Arizona Child Fatality Review Board identified that 33 children (most between 1 and 4 years of age) died of unintentional drowning accidents
- The most effective interventions to avoid drowning are focused adult supervision, four sided isolation fencing with self-closing/self-latching gate, and ability to swim by age 8 (National Safe Kids Campaign)
- Suffocation
- Suffocation is the third most common cause of injury. 12 children died as the result of unintentional suffocation in 2009. (Arizona Child Fatality Review Program)
What are the goals of the program?
Arizona Safe Kids' mission is to reduce unintentional injuries to Arizona children by creating safer homes and communities through education and intervention. Community assessments and action plans are developed each year, providing detailed strategies to reduce childhood injury in communities across Arizona.
What has the program achieved?
In Arizona, there are five local Safe Kids Coalitions, one local chapter, and the Arizona State Coalition. Educational materials, assistance in creating new coalitions, and other injury prevention strategies for communities are available from the Arizona Safe Kids Coalition. Local Coalition accomplishments include regular car seat testing events, a permanent car seat testing site, child passenger safety (CPS) technician certification and development of resource materials for public education.