Chevrolet – Child Seats Save Lives Campaign extends to third Emirate with child seats donation in Sharjah

The Chevrolet – Child Seats Save Lives Campaign has expanded into a third UAE emirate with the donation of 500 child seats to Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah to distribute to parents of newborn babies. The latest donation extends the focus of the campaign to include Sharjah alongside Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where Chevrolet has already contributed 1,000 seats and trained nurses in key hospitals.

In addition to the distribution of the 1,500 premium Maxi-Cosi child seats, Chevrolet partnered with “Safe Kids Worldwide” to send child injury prevention experts from the US to train more than 70 maternity nurses in Abu Dhabi’s Al Rahba Hospital, Dubai’s Al Wasl Hospital and Sharjah’s Al Qassimi Hospital. The training was conducted to equip maternity nurses with the knowledge to educate parents on the vital role child car seats play in preventing fatal injuries in the event of a road accident.

The donation of child seats to Al Qassimi Hospital also supports the “Child Safety – Car Seats Campaign” in Sharjah launched by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher in partnership with the Sharjah Ladies Club. Chevrolet has also cooperated closely with the Dubai Health Authority and the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi.

“It is our hope that by contributing to the Sharjah “Child Safety – Car Seats Campaign” and Al Qassimi Hospital, as well as the other hospitals in the UAE, we can spread the message that child seats are an effective way to reduce fatal injuries and help save lives on the roads,” said Luay Al Shurafa, Regional Brand Manager of Chevrolet of General Motors Middle East Operations.

“Our campaign comes from our genuine concern about the high rate of infant mortality in traffic accidents across the country. We are planning even more activities later in the year to continue to increase awareness of the importance of buckling your child into a child seat,” continued Mr Luay Al Shurafa.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of infant mortality in the UAE, accounting for up to 63% of all child deaths in the country, while child car seats are recognized as the most effective method of reducing infant mortality in the event of a traffic accident. Research shows that they can reduce infant fatal injuries by up to 71%.

"As part of the Dubai Health Authority's child injury prevention strategy, DHA is working hard to educate and encourage parents to take greater care over their children's safety,” said Dr. Ziad Al Najjar, Senior Public Health Promotion Specialist at the Dubai Health Authority.

“This includes educating parents about the importance of buckling their child into an appropriate child seat. Chevrolet's nurse training program and donation of 500 child seats to Al Wasl Hospital has had a very positive impact on our injury prevention strategy and left a lasting impression on the parents that received a child seat. We hope that these parents will continue to buckle their infants into a child seat or seatbelt throughout their childhood," added Dr Al Najjar.

All recipients of the Chevrolet donated the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix child seats receive a Chevrolet Child Seats educational booklet. The donated seats are premium car seat designed for infants weighing up to 13 kg (from birth to 9 months).

It advised that older infants use car seats that are designed to meet their size and weight.

Chevrolet has been promoting the use of child seats since their initial Child Safety campaign in 2008 and the launch of the “Chevrolet – Child Seats Save Lives” initiative in 2010. Chevrolet intends to continue raising awareness of the importance of child seats with new activities planned for later in the year and throughout 2012 in conjunction with a number of entities and organizations in the UAE.