NATIONAL KIDSAFE DAY, TUESDAY OCTOBER 23^RD, 2012

Tuesday October 23 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.