Dangerous Trend in New York's State Parks

New York has great parks, right? Let’s pile everyone into the car and go.

Apparently lots of people are doing just that, because New York state and park police are seeing a dangerous and disturbing trend: cars entering parks full of people without seatbelts on. Especially children.

New York was the first state with a primary seatbelt law. http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/seatbelt_laws.html

Compliance is high—91 percent statewide. PR campaigns like Click It or Ticket have been considered extremely successful.

Except, apparently, for people planning to commune with nature. Park visitors are far less compliant. And they’re not taking care of their kids.

So, for the second year in a row, state and park police have mounted a 2-week joint enforcement and education campaign in July, when park visits are at their peak.

“We want the public to enjoy their summer, but they should do so safely,” New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico said. “Seat belts and car seats save lives.”

In just two weeks in 2013, tickets were issued for 600 seatbelt tickets and 1,200 children passenger safety violations. In last month’s enforcement campaign, out of a total tickets 2,219 tickets issued, only 546 were to adults and 1,673 were to children.

“People think they’re in a park and traffic laws do not apply; however, this is not the case,” said Technical Sgt. Todd Engwer, the state police liaison to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s traffic safety committee.

Also what the officers have seen at park entrances, he said, is overcrowded cars.

“And quite frequently it is the young children who are unbuckled,” he said. “In some cases, you’d see where the adults were buckled up, and in many cases the children had no seat belts.”

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are a leading cause of death for children one to 13 years old. In 2012, more than 37 percent of children killed in crashes were not in car seats, booster seats or seat belts. Car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in vehicles.

“With 335,000 acres within our wonderful system there is beauty to explore around every corner. It is very enticing to shift our attention even for a moment to enjoy the scenery and forget about paying attention to the roadway. It is imperative that our visitors take the precaution of buckling up and keeping their young children in a car seat while driving both in and outside our state parks,” said State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey. “Doing so will increase your chance of a safe and enjoyable visit.”