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Div. of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road
MS D-14
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3286
Fax (404) 639-7394 |
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Synopsis for February 25, 2000
MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 p.m. E.S.T. Thursdays.
- Storm-Related Mortality 鈥?Central Texas, October 17鈥?1, 1998
- Motor-vehicle Occupant Fatalities and Restraint Use Among Children Aged 4鈥? Years 鈥?United States, 1994鈥?998
Synopsis for February 25, 2000
Storm-Related Mortality 鈥?Central Texas, October 17鈥?1, 1998
A series of storms in Central Texas cause deaths in 24 separate incidents in nine Texas counties.
PRESS CONTACT:
David Zane, M.S.
Texas Department of Health
(512) 458鈥?266 |
On October 17, 1998, a series of storms moved across the Central Texas and South Texas regions, dropping more than 15 inches of rain in many
areas and spawning several tornadoes. An epidemiologic investigation was conducted of the deaths associated with the storm system. Thirty-one
deaths were considered directly or indirectly related to the storm (29 directly and two indirectly). Three-quarters of the deaths with known
circumstances occurred because a motor vehicle was driven into flood waters. The findings in this report underscore the importance of educating
persons residing in flood-prone locations about the hazards of driving vehicles through areas inundated by flash floods and through swiftly
moving flood waters. This report summarizes findings of an investigation of deaths associated with a storm system.
Motor-vehicle Occupant Fatalities and Restraint Use Among Children Aged 4鈥? Years 鈥?United States, 1994鈥?998
More children, 4鈥? years of age, die as occupants in car crashes than any other form of unintentional injury.
PRESS CONTACT:
Steve Trockman, M.P.H., C.H.E.S.
CDC, National Center for Injury Prevention & Control
(770) 488鈥?652
(Alternate: Ann Dellinger, Ph.D., M.P.H., same phone number) |
Approximately 500 motor-vehicle occupants aged 4-8 years died each year between 1994-1998. Despite ongoing efforts by the public health and
traffic safety communities to encourage proper restraint use and seating position among all children riding in motor vehicles, little change
occurred in the death rate, restraint use, and seating position among children aged 4-8 years during this period. Having outgrown child safety
seats (CSSs) designed for younger passengers, children aged 4-8 years frequently sit unrestrained or are placed prematurely in adult seat belt
systems. In addition, a large proportion of children involved in fatal crashes are seated in the front seat. The 50 states, District of
Columbia, and Puerto Rico have child-passenger safety laws; however, substantial gaps in coverage exist for child passengers aged 4-8 years.
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