Safest States For Kids
Research Ranks Child Safety Laws in Each U.S. State
A recent report has come out regarding the general safety of activities that concern children including playground equipment, cross walks and helmet and booster seat use.
Results of the Findings
A recent report has come out to show how location makes a difference in the safety of children. The results rank the states in overall safety standards including playground, bus, and school crossings. The use of safety devices, such as booster seats and helmets were also considered. In the end, Connecticut was found to be the safest state for children followed by Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and California. Rounding out the top ten were Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Oregon.
What Makes One State Safe Over Another
The safety of each state has been influenced by how strict safety regulations are in that state. For instance, California laws state that public playgrounds must meet all federal government safety recommendations. However, 34 other states have no standards at all to meet regarding playground safety which has contributed to its number five spot in the list. In saying this, children are also six times more likely to die from a violence-related injury in Alaska, a state with low safety standards than in Massachusetts, which has high safety standards.
Such laws also make parents stricter on their kids’ safety practices, such as the wearing of bike helmets. Having the law on their parents' side makes it more likely that kids wiill comply with their parents’ rules. However, bike helmets and booster seats are not required in 31 states so many parents do not have this advantage. Recently, however, Michigan has announced that it will now be requiring booster seats for children under age eight. Such a law can go into effect as early as April. Booster seats are said to reduce the risk of death in children between the ages of four and seven by 59 percent.
Connecticut and the other top safety states are not perfect by any means. Their ranking is also attributed to the fact that the states have made recent improvements in their laws regarding child safety, such as school-bus crossing laws. At the same time, Arizona, South Dakota, South Carolina, Alaska and Mississippi make up the bottom five safe states in the country. Alaska has the highest rate of sex offenders according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Oregon, Michigan and Vermont are not far behind in that department.
How the Survey Was Conducted
The results of this finding were calculated between October 2007 and January 2008. Parents analyzed state-level data on 30 different child safety laws and practices. This data was obtained from several organizations including American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Safe Kids Worldwide.
