In Kansas City 2-year-old Benjamin Thompson died this week when his father's truck backed over him. It's a tragedy that is repeated all too often – about 50 times EACH WEEK in the U.S. Benjamin was the 52nd death recorded this year.
These incidents for the most part take place in residential driveways or parking lots:
• The predominant age of victims are one-year-olds. (12-23 months)
• Over 60% of backing up incidents involved a larger size vehicle. (truck, van, SUV)
• Tragically, in over 70% of these incidents, a parent or close relative is behind the wheel.
KidsAndCars.org urges all adults to heighten their awareness before they engage a vehicle into reverse, especially when children are present. Young children are impulsive and unpredictable, with poor judgment and little understanding of danger. In addition, young children do not recognize boundaries such as property lines, sidewalks, driveways or parking spaces.
KidsAndCars.org recommendations to keep children safe include:
• Walk around and behind a vehicle prior to moving it.
• Know where your kids are. Make children move away from your vehicle to a place where they are in full view before moving the car and know that another adult is properly supervising children before moving your vehicle.
• Teach children that “parked” vehicles might move. Let them know that they can see the vehicle; but the driver might not be able to see them.
• Consider installing cross view mirrors, audible collision detectors, rear view video camera and/or some type of back up detection device.
• Measure the size of your blind zone (area) behind the vehicle(s) you drive. A 5-foot-1-inch driver in a pickup truck can have a rear blind zone of approximately 8 feet wide by 50 feet long.
• Be aware that steep inclines and large SUV’s, vans and trucks add to the difficulty of seeing behind a vehicle.
• Hold children’s hand when leaving the vehicle.
• Teach your children to never play in, around or behind a vehicle and always set the emergency brake.
• Keep toys and other sports equipment off the driveway.
• Homeowners should trim landscaping around the driveway to ensure they can see the sidewalk, street and pedestrians clearly when backing out of their driveway. Pedestrians also need to be able to see a vehicle pulling out of the driveway.
• Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
• Keep vehicles locked at all times; even in the garage or driveway.
• Keys and/or remote openers should never be left within reach of children.
• Make sure all child passengers have left the car after it is parked.
• Be especially careful about keeping children safe in and around cars during busy times, schedule changes and periods of crisis or holidays.
These precautions can save lives. For additional information visit www.KidsAndCars.org
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
KidsAndCars.org founder to speak at NHTSA press conference
News Release
Contacts:
Susan Pepperdine,
913-262-7414, cell 913-205-5304 or
susan@pepperdinepr.com
KidsAndCars.org founder to
speak at NHTSA press conference
Aug. 22 at Children’s Mercy
Hospital
Speakers
will also include mother whose child died of heatstroke in hot car
KANSAS
CITY, MO.– Aug. 21, 2012… Janette
Fennell, president
of KidsAndCars.org, a
national nonprofit child safety organization working to prevent injuries and
deaths of children in and around motor vehicles, will speak at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 22, at a press conference sponsored by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration at Children’s Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillhan Rd.,
Kansas City, Mo.
The event will focus on
programs to prevent child heatstroke deaths and injuries in hot cars and to
urge parents and caregivers to think, “Where's baby? Look before you lock.”
Speakers will also include Jodie Edwards, Ph.D., whose
family suffered a tragedy when she unknowingly left her daughter Jenna, nearly
11 months old, in a hot car while she was at work as a professor at a small
Christian university in Ohio. She thought she had taken every precaution
possible to protect her daughter and her older brother. Yet her brain ‘flipped
a switch,’ causing her to mistakenly believe she had dropped off Jenna at the
babysitter’s on the way to work. “I have talked to dozens of families who have lost children to
vehicular heatstroke,” Edwards said. “The only thing we all have in common is
that none of us realized our love wasn’t enough to protect our children from
our imperfect brains.”
KidsAndCars.org reported last week that in the six-day period
from Aug. 2 to 7 eight children from 5 months to 4 years old died of heat
stroke in vehicles in four states: Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and New Mexico.
To educate parents and caregivers, KidsAndCars.org introduced
the “Look before you lock” program, the first of its kind, and has distributed
150,000 information cards to hospitals nationwide. “We want parents to understand
from Day One that this is something they need to know in order to protect their
baby,” Fennell said. “Sadly, these tragedies can and do happen to anyone, even
the most conscientious parents.”
In 2005, KidsAndCars.org was successful in getting a
provision included in the omnibus federal transportation bill that requires
data collection of incidents that are vehicle-related, but take place off of
our public roads and highways. In January 2009, the first report was issued
stating that more than 1,700 children and adults are killed and more than
840,000 injured every year. “Though significant, we believe the actual numbers
are much higher,” Fennell said. “KidsAndCars.org is working to collect statistics
on near misses, which traditionally have not been reported.”
“After
so many years of carrying this torch, KidsAndCars.org is gratified to see the
muscle and tremendous outreach efforts of NHTSA to take on a leadership role in
working to end these preventable
tragedies.”
Based on incidents
documented by KidsAndCars.org:
54 percent of the
time children die after
being unknowingly left inside a hot vehicle.
32 percent when
children got into a vehicle on their own, similar to the situation that Hays described.
12 percent when they
were knowingly left in vehicle
2 percent of the
circumstances were not clear.
Safety Tips from KidsAndCars.org
KidsAndCars.org provides these BE SAFE safety tips on a card
being distributed to new parents:
Back seat – Put something in the back seat so you have to open
the door when leaving the vehicle – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.
Stuffed animal – Move it from the car seat to the front seat
to remind you when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you within 10 minutes if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park your vehicle open the back door to make sure no one has been left behind.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you within 10 minutes if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park your vehicle open the back door to make sure no one has been left behind.
For additional information about ways to keep
children safe in and around vehicles, visit www.KidsAndCars.org
###
About KidsAndCars.org: Founded in 1996, KidsAndCars.org is a national
nonprofit child safety organization dedicated
to preventing injuries and deaths of children in and around
motor vehicles. KidAndCars.org promotes awareness
among parents, caregivers and the general public about the dangers to children,
including backover and frontover incidents, and heatstroke from being
inadvertently left in a vehicle. The organization works to prevent tragedies
through data collection, education and public awareness, policy change and
survivor advocacy.
Monday, July 30, 2012
When Is a Reward NOT a Reward?
Marketers offer many rewards to customers to encourage sales and build loyalty.
Unfortunately, many of them are no incentive at all to someone like me. Here are some examples:
Cosmetics – For decades department-store brand cosmetics have offered a collection of their most popular products in a cute little cosmetics bag. That's great...once or twice. I have several I'm happy with and can't use more, so I never even look at the specials anymore.
Fast Food – Usually fast food restaurants offer a free soft drink as part of a special. I seldom go to these restaurants, and when I do, I don't drink soda (or pop, as my husband insists on calling it.) I don't “want fries with that” either.
Fine Dining – They'll often offer a free appetizer I don't want. Or special wines, which I rarely drink.
American Express – My husband has had his card since at least the '70s. Every invoice includes offers we just ignore.
A long time ago I started cutting out and saving the premium blocks on cereal and other packaged goods. Then I discovered most of the rewards offered were cooking utensils and cookbooks. Well, if I cared about cooking, I wouldn't have been buying those packaged goods in the first place.
It's also annoying to have to carry around coupons, and try to remember to use them before they expire. I'm always finding CVS coupons I forgot to bring with me and that have now expired.
As Kansas City Star editor Don Munday wrote in his May 21, 2012, poem:
To sum up the coupon dilemma you’ve wrought:
Wherever you are, there the coupon is not.
Surely I'm not the only one who is bored with and annoyed by the same old tired offers.
Unfortunately, many of them are no incentive at all to someone like me. Here are some examples:
Cosmetics – For decades department-store brand cosmetics have offered a collection of their most popular products in a cute little cosmetics bag. That's great...once or twice. I have several I'm happy with and can't use more, so I never even look at the specials anymore.
Fast Food – Usually fast food restaurants offer a free soft drink as part of a special. I seldom go to these restaurants, and when I do, I don't drink soda (or pop, as my husband insists on calling it.) I don't “want fries with that” either.
Fine Dining – They'll often offer a free appetizer I don't want. Or special wines, which I rarely drink.
American Express – My husband has had his card since at least the '70s. Every invoice includes offers we just ignore.
A long time ago I started cutting out and saving the premium blocks on cereal and other packaged goods. Then I discovered most of the rewards offered were cooking utensils and cookbooks. Well, if I cared about cooking, I wouldn't have been buying those packaged goods in the first place.
It's also annoying to have to carry around coupons, and try to remember to use them before they expire. I'm always finding CVS coupons I forgot to bring with me and that have now expired.
As Kansas City Star editor Don Munday wrote in his May 21, 2012, poem:
To sum up the coupon dilemma you’ve wrought:
Wherever you are, there the coupon is not.
Surely I'm not the only one who is bored with and annoyed by the same old tired offers.
Friday, June 29, 2012
‘Tangled Webs’ – Lessons About Lying
Recently Pulitzer Prize-winning author James B. Stewart talked about his book “Tangled Webs – How False Statements Are Undermining America.” He was interviewed by Crosby Kemper in front of a large audience at the downtown Kansas City Library. The book details the perjury cases of Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, Barry Bonds and Bernie Madoff. Fascinating... and disturbing.
I was especially interested in hearing him speak because he's a famous son of my hometown, Quincy, Ill. We share strong Midwestern values about the importance of honesty. When I talked to him after he signed my book copy, I noted that one of the things I admired most about my father was that he was a successful business owner known for being “honest as the day is long.” The Wall Street Journal once featured him in an article I had framed and have hanging on my office wall.
Stewart told me that our fathers were friends, and that his dad had also worked for International Harvester. My dad owned a dealership, Selby Implement Co., which still operates under his name, now 42 years after his death in 1970.
Stewart also remembered when his dad bought a 1960 DeSoto from my dad. I'm sure it was a fair deal on both sides!
I was especially interested in hearing him speak because he's a famous son of my hometown, Quincy, Ill. We share strong Midwestern values about the importance of honesty. When I talked to him after he signed my book copy, I noted that one of the things I admired most about my father was that he was a successful business owner known for being “honest as the day is long.” The Wall Street Journal once featured him in an article I had framed and have hanging on my office wall.
Stewart told me that our fathers were friends, and that his dad had also worked for International Harvester. My dad owned a dealership, Selby Implement Co., which still operates under his name, now 42 years after his death in 1970.
Stewart also remembered when his dad bought a 1960 DeSoto from my dad. I'm sure it was a fair deal on both sides!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Yes, I Have No Poisonous Bananas!
When I was about 9, I heard that the strings inside a banana were poisonous. So when peeling a banana, I was extra careful to get all the strings off, just in case.
But finally I decided that it made no sense that something poisonous would be right next to the edible pulp. Surely there would have been more public warnings if that were true.
Maybe questioning this “fact” was an early indication of my interest in journalism. It’s all about asking questions and not blindly accepting what you hear or read.
Now I learn that the proper name for the strings is “phloem bundles.” Ick. Good thing I didn’t know that when I was a kid.
Also, did you know that we’re supposedly eating bananas backward, just as I used to do with broccoli. The stem is actually the bottom since bananas grow upward from there. The usual way of peeling the banana goes against the grain of the fruit, causing the strings to cling to it. I’ll have to try that next time we buy a bunch of bananas!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
BE SAFE tips keep kids from being left in hot cars
My letter-to-the-editor as published in the May 16, 2012, Kansas City Star:
Tragically, another child has died after being inadvertently left in the car while his mother was at work in Lee’s Summit. Our hearts go out to the parents and family.
If you think it couldn’t happen to you or your family, think again. Our memories don’t prioritize, so it’s as easy to forget to drop off your child at daycare as it is to forget to drop off your suit at the dry cleaner.
KidsAndCars.org provides these BE SAFE tips:
Back seat – Put something in the back seat that requires you to open the back door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.
Stuffed animal should be kept in your child’s car seat. Place it on the front seat as a reminder when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park make it a routine to open the back door of your car to check that no one has been left behind.
Make copies to place in your own vehicles, and give to family and friends – even strangers – who have young children.
For more information on keeping kids safe in and around vehicles, go to KidsAndCars.org <http://kidsandcars.org/> .
Susan Pepperdine, Volunteer
KidsAndCars.org
Leawood, Kan.
Tragically, another child has died after being inadvertently left in the car while his mother was at work in Lee’s Summit. Our hearts go out to the parents and family.
If you think it couldn’t happen to you or your family, think again. Our memories don’t prioritize, so it’s as easy to forget to drop off your child at daycare as it is to forget to drop off your suit at the dry cleaner.
KidsAndCars.org provides these BE SAFE tips:
Back seat – Put something in the back seat that requires you to open the back door every time you park – cell phone, employee badge, handbag, etc.
Every child should be correctly restrained in the back seat.
Stuffed animal should be kept in your child’s car seat. Place it on the front seat as a reminder when your baby is in the back seat.
Ask your babysitter or child-care provider to call you if your child hasn’t arrived on time.
Focus on driving – Avoid cell phone calls and texting while driving.
Every time you park make it a routine to open the back door of your car to check that no one has been left behind.
Make copies to place in your own vehicles, and give to family and friends – even strangers – who have young children.
For more information on keeping kids safe in and around vehicles, go to KidsAndCars.org <http://kidsandcars.org/> .
Susan Pepperdine, Volunteer
KidsAndCars.org
Leawood, Kan.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Turning Down Clients You Can't Fully Support
Should you turn down clients or stop working for companies if you disagree with their philosophy?
In the recent Paula Deen controversy, her publicist Nancy Assuncao, resigned and said, “If you don’t believe in what your client wants to do, it’s your business to leave.”
PR consultants, business consultants and others must sometimes decide whether to work with clients they don't fully support: tobacco, gambling, political campaigns, etc. And recently people on both sides of the issue reconsidered support of the Susan G. Komen organization.
Here are some of the responses I received when I posed the question on a LinkedIn discussion group:
Chris Kirk: It really depends on the situation, doesn't it? Is the philosophy something that's just outside your comfort zone or does it conflict with your morals and values? I for one appreciate companies that stand by their convictions.
Amy Rathbone: If peace of mind in the workplace and not compromising your morals for a paycheck is (important to you) then I think you may work for less people and make less money but ultimately be happier with how you are doing business...We probably have all made the mistake of compromising our principles. It's that 'ugh' feeling that hits you in the car on the way home. It's so much easier to avoid!
Brett Gibson: If your "why's" don't align, then antagonistic relationships ensue. If you know why you do what you do, and the client has a different objective, then they are a bad fit. (Also holds true for employee engagement.)...If you know that the client is hurting themselves with their practices, and they won't listen to consultative advice – there's little likelihood that they will change that charge to failure. You don't have to ride along. Find clients more in line with your vision/mission.
Donna Gordon: In the long run, choosing business partners and clients whose values align with yours is not just peace of mind, it's good business. Whether consciously or subconsciously, if you are not 'all in' with the client or project, your work will suffer.
Beatrice Ten-Thye: I am a Virtual Assistant who works with and in relationships. I find it impossible to work with anyone whose business philosophy does not correspond to mine. That said, if I meet a potential client who is not in alignment with my philosophy, I do refer him to someone else. It wouldn't be good for me or the client to enter into a working relationship that does not fit.
Patrick Shore: Our philosophy is doing the right thing for each and every client. If we do not agree with a product, service, or set of business practices we will share this with the client and politely decline their business. I cannot innovate and create growth for items I do not believe in or cannot share with others...I teach leaders to think this way: Are you proud of your business philosophy, business practices and products? Would you brag about them with your family, spouse and children? If the answer is no, you should rethink.
Sherri Becker: If philosophies are not aligned then the PR that the consultant provides may not be presented with the utmost authenticity. Authenticity and honesty are qualities that we work to achieve in all our projects.
Susan Pepperdine: I agree with those who responded. I've found I can't do PR for people, products or companies unless I really believe in them. If you aren't sold on something, how can you sell somebody else?
Of course lawyers must defend murder suspects – whether they believe they're guilty or not – because it's a constitutional right. But we as marketers don't have to represent companies or products we don't believe in. It's important to be proud of your own company and business practices as well as with your clients' products and business practices.
What do you think?
In the recent Paula Deen controversy, her publicist Nancy Assuncao, resigned and said, “If you don’t believe in what your client wants to do, it’s your business to leave.”
PR consultants, business consultants and others must sometimes decide whether to work with clients they don't fully support: tobacco, gambling, political campaigns, etc. And recently people on both sides of the issue reconsidered support of the Susan G. Komen organization.
Here are some of the responses I received when I posed the question on a LinkedIn discussion group:
Chris Kirk: It really depends on the situation, doesn't it? Is the philosophy something that's just outside your comfort zone or does it conflict with your morals and values? I for one appreciate companies that stand by their convictions.
Amy Rathbone: If peace of mind in the workplace and not compromising your morals for a paycheck is (important to you) then I think you may work for less people and make less money but ultimately be happier with how you are doing business...We probably have all made the mistake of compromising our principles. It's that 'ugh' feeling that hits you in the car on the way home. It's so much easier to avoid!
Brett Gibson: If your "why's" don't align, then antagonistic relationships ensue. If you know why you do what you do, and the client has a different objective, then they are a bad fit. (Also holds true for employee engagement.)...If you know that the client is hurting themselves with their practices, and they won't listen to consultative advice – there's little likelihood that they will change that charge to failure. You don't have to ride along. Find clients more in line with your vision/mission.
Donna Gordon: In the long run, choosing business partners and clients whose values align with yours is not just peace of mind, it's good business. Whether consciously or subconsciously, if you are not 'all in' with the client or project, your work will suffer.
Beatrice Ten-Thye: I am a Virtual Assistant who works with and in relationships. I find it impossible to work with anyone whose business philosophy does not correspond to mine. That said, if I meet a potential client who is not in alignment with my philosophy, I do refer him to someone else. It wouldn't be good for me or the client to enter into a working relationship that does not fit.
Patrick Shore: Our philosophy is doing the right thing for each and every client. If we do not agree with a product, service, or set of business practices we will share this with the client and politely decline their business. I cannot innovate and create growth for items I do not believe in or cannot share with others...I teach leaders to think this way: Are you proud of your business philosophy, business practices and products? Would you brag about them with your family, spouse and children? If the answer is no, you should rethink.
Sherri Becker: If philosophies are not aligned then the PR that the consultant provides may not be presented with the utmost authenticity. Authenticity and honesty are qualities that we work to achieve in all our projects.
Susan Pepperdine: I agree with those who responded. I've found I can't do PR for people, products or companies unless I really believe in them. If you aren't sold on something, how can you sell somebody else?
Of course lawyers must defend murder suspects – whether they believe they're guilty or not – because it's a constitutional right. But we as marketers don't have to represent companies or products we don't believe in. It's important to be proud of your own company and business practices as well as with your clients' products and business practices.
What do you think?
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