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With Increase In Child Deaths, FHP Warns Motorists To Buckle Up Kids

A child buckling their seatbelt
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August is Child Safety Awareness Month, and Florida officials are reminding motorists to always buckle up their kids.

Since 2014, crashes involving kids have increased by 14 percent. That’s according to figures from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Last year, more than half of the accidents involving a child who died as passenger in the car was the result of them not wearing a seatbelt.

Preliminary figures from 2017 also show more than 132,000 crashes in Florida involving kids under the age of 18 resulted in thousands of serious injuries and 134 deaths.

Throughout this month, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will be working to educate the public about child safety on state roadways.

That includes proper seat restraints, awareness of school zones and school buses, and never leaving a child in a hot car.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.