AIAM Sponsors Leading Child Safety Research Initiative

    ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- The Association of

International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) announced a $50,000

sponsorship for a research initiative conducted by the Children's Hospital

of Philadelphia (CHOP) that will provide support for the largest source of

data on children involved in automobile crashes. For more than a decade,

similar research from CHOP has served as the scientific foundation for new

product development, improved federal motor vehicle safety standards,

public education, and improved laws to protect the most vulnerable

passengers.



    "We are honored to provide our support for this critical study," said

Michael J. Stanton, President and CEO of AIAM. "Child-safety is a top

priority for our member companies, and The Children's Hospital of

Philadelphia has a long history of leadership on such an important issue."



    "We are grateful for AIAM's commitment to help us continue child

occupant surveillance efforts," said Dennis Durbin, M.D., M.S.C.E.,

co-scientific director of CHOP's Center for Injury Research and Prevention.

"Children are not small adults. They have unique needs for safety that

cannot be determined from data on adults. Without the ability to monitor

children's injuries in real-world crashes, the traffic safety community

would lose its ability to monitor the effects of emerging vehicle and

restraint technologies on children's safety."



    Since 2005, the Center for Injury Research and Prevention has issued

its Partners for Child Passenger Safety Fact & Trend Report to track trends

in child passenger safety. This year's report is made possible through

AIAM's support, and will be released during National Child Passenger Safety

Week, September 21-27, 2008.

    About AIAM - The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers,

Inc. (AIAM) is a trade association representing 14 international motor

vehicle manufacturers who account for 40 percent of all passenger cars and

light trucks sold annually in the United States. AIAM provides members with

information, analysis and advocacy on a wide variety of legislative and

regulatory issues impacting the auto sector. AIAM is dedicated to the

promotion of free trade and to policies that enhance motor vehicle safety

and the protection of the environment. Member companies include Aston

Martin, Ferrari/Maserati, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan,

Peugeot, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota. For more information, visit

our website at http://www.aiam.org.



    About The Center for Injury Research and Prevention



    The Center for Injury Research and Prevention (formerly TraumaLink) at

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was established in 1998 to advance

the safety of children and young adults through science. Operating with the

central belief that children are not small adults, the Center's

multidisciplinary team of researchers work to reduce injuries- the leading

cause of death and acquired disability among the young. The Center's

research is organized around three disciplines: epidemiology/

biostatistics, engineering, and behavioral science. Based on the research

questions at hand, the Center draws from CHOP and University of

Pennsylvania-based expertise in emergency medicine; pediatric trauma;

surgery; nursing; social work; pediatric and adolescent medicine;

epidemiology and biostatistics; bioengineering; computational engineering;

psychology; behavioral science; communications; and health education.

Center findings are published in scientific journals and translated into

recommendation and education tools for parents, educators, policymakers and

product manufacturers. For more information on the Center and its research

initiatives, visit http://www.chop.edu/injury.