Kids Safety Bulletin Shopping Cart Safety   by Don C. Keenan

We all use shopping carts from time to time.  One thing we may forget is how dangerous shopping carts can be for our kids.  Consider the following:

• According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, falls from shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to small children.
  
  
• Shopping cart accidents result in 650 hospital admissions each year; most of the injured are under 4 years of age.

Here are a few extra steps to make sure your child is secured:

1.  Don’t allow your child to ride under the cart, inside the cart, or stand on the end of the cart.

While this is a tip we already know, it’s sometimes a hard one to enforce.  Your kids see the shopping cart as a fun plaything, but it can be dangerous.   Be stern!

2.  Only use carts with lap belts.

Almost all carts have belts.  As we see from the statistics, most injuries are the result of a fall from the cart.  A quick buckle avoids a potentially life threatening accident.

3.  Keep your child in view at all times.

Aside from the risks we already discussed, it’s a good idea to keep your child in view for abduction reasons as well.  While cases of stranger abduction are few and far between, there are still reports of children abducted from retail establishments each year.  Watch for suspicious individuals and report anyone who makes you uncomfortable.

Don Keenan, founder of the Keenan’s Kids Foundation, has published a book on child safety titled, 365 Ways to Keep Kids Safe, which is available at www.balloonpress.com or at www.amazon.com .  All proceeds benefit the Keenan’s Kids Foundation.

This article originally published on July 29, 2008.

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