NATIONAL KIDSAFE
DAY, TUESDAY OCTOBER 23RD, 2012
Today
is National Kidsafe Day- a day dedicated to increasing awareness of serious unintentional
childhood injuries and their prevention. This year, Kidsafe, the Child Accident
Prevention Foundation of Australia, is targeting a reduction in the 250 child deaths and 58,000 hospital
admissions seen every year in Australia due to preventable injuries.
Kidsafe
are proud to have some brilliant national ambassadors this year:
- Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
CVO, national Patron of Kidsafe will be participating in an event in Western
Sydney. - ‘Fitzy’
from NOVA will be hosting a radio segment on his highly successful ‘Fitzy &
Wippa’ Breakfast radio show with a focus on child restraint safety. - The Wiggles have released a fantastic ‘Beep Beep, Buckle Up’ song
to coincide with the day.
Volkswagen has also shown their support by releasing the Volkswagen Safer Roads Report into Australian
road safety habits on National Kidsafe Day. This revealed that many Australian
adults are failing to apply basic road safety measures with nearly a quarter
(22%) of drivers reporting they’d allow children under their supervision to
travel in a car unrestrained.
The
official launch of National Kidsafe Day in Victoria will be held at the Collingwood
Leisure Centre. The Minister for Children and Housing, The Hon Wendy Lovell,
will launch Kidsafe’s Home Safety Checklist together with Josie Constanzo, who
lost her three year old son Justin in a drowning incident twelve years ago.
Justin drowned tragically in a neighbor’s pool after the pool gate had been
propped open- a thoughtless action which led to a very preventable death that
has haunted Josie and her family and friends every day since.
The
Minister will also present a number of Kidsafe National Playground Design
Awards and launch the Kidsafe Victoria Facebook page.
Kidsafe
has organised a range of activities nationwide to ensure everyone can get
involved and spread the child safety message. If you want to get involved and support National Kidsafe Day, you can:
1.
Participate in our Bloggers Competition, designed to start
the online conversation and spread the important message of child safety. More
details on the competition can be found at www.kidsafe.com.au/bloggerscomp and you can view some of our favourite entries so far at http://www.facebook.com/kidsafeaustralia.
2.
Get your school involved in Kidsafe’s Schools Program. Kidsafe is
encouraging everyone to dress in the theme of ‘Safety’ and help spread
awareness of childhood unintentional injuries and their prevention. To download
the pack, please visit www.kidsafe.com.au/schoolscomp.
3.
Help us spread the word about
injury prevention by passing on these key facts to everyone you know.
4.
Support our ongoing programs and
efforts to reduce child injury by donating
at http://nationalkidsafeday.worldsecuresystems.com/donation.htm
Thank
you for helping us to ‘Make a Safer World for Kids’ this National Kidsafe Day.
