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Autero has invested heavily in our products because we want to make a difference in the lives of children and families around the world. Read some news articles below about why our products are so important.

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Tragedies Spark Push for Vehicle-Safety Reform:
BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER - STAFF WRITER

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Nonfatal Motor Vehicle Related Back over Injuries Among Children - United States, 2001-2003: By TERI SFORZA - The Orange County Register

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The Problem of Blind Spots - The area behind your vehicle can be a killing zone: - www.consumerreports.org

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Consumers in trucks drive demand for backup sensors: By TERI SFORZA - The Orange County Register

Kids at High Risk When Cars Are Backing Up: By TERI SFORZA - The Orange County Register

Feb. 18--More than 7,000 children were rushed to hospitals after being backed over by a vehicle between 2001 and 2003 -- and nearly half of those accidents happened at home, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Motor vehicle back over-related injuries pose a serious risk to children," it said.

Half the children injured were younger than 4, underscoring the need for parents to keep a close eye on impulsive toddlers when vehicles are present, activists said.

"Parents need to make sure children are being properly supervised," said Janette E. Fennell, president of Kids And Cars, the only group that tracks back over deaths.

The CDC reviewed data from U.S. emergency rooms and found that 7,475 children age 14 and under were treated for back over-related injuries. Most injuries were to arms and legs (54 percent) and to the head, face, and neck (28 percent).

Fennell's group tracks fatalities from news and other reports. Just six weeks into 2005, at least nine children have died in back over accidents, she said.

Last year, at least 85 children died; in 2003, at least 91 were lost.

In Orange County, at least 26 children have been killed or injured by such accidents over the past decade.

The CDC said simple changes such as fencing off driveways, changes in vehicle design, extra mirrors or sensing devices could reduce the risk of back over-related injuries and should be evaluated.

A review by Consumer Reports found that the blind spot behind cars and SUVs is much greater than many drivers may imagine.

The popular Toyota Camry has a 13-foot blind spot for a driver 5 feet, 8 inches tall. A shorter driver (5 feet, 1 inch tall) has a blind spot of 24 feet.

Other studies have linked back over accidents to the popularity of larger SUVs, vans and trucks. Longer, taller vehicles tend to have significantly larger blind spots.

Original Story
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Tragedies Spark Push for Vehicle-Safety Reform: BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER - STAFF WRITER

It may be hard for anyone to fully comprehend the pain of a parent whose child has been run over, especially if the parent or another close relative was the driver.

But Greg and Leslie Gulbransen can. And Matthew and Lisa Cavallaro. And Bill and Adriann Nelson.

All three families were sharing the grief of a Bellport man Monday after hearing that he had run over his 2-year-old son, a reminder of how they had lost their children.

In October 2002, Gulbransen backed over his 2-year-old son with a sport utility vehicle. In April last year, a close relative backed over 16-month-old Alec Nelson, again with an SUV. Matthew Cavallaro was also driving one when he backed over his 2-year-old daughter two months later.

All three children were killed.

The families say they know what Robert Palange must have been feeling soon after backing over his son, Bobby, Monday morning, leaving him critically injured.

"He's completely devastated," Gulbransen, of Syosset, said. "This is just the worst, shocking time right now. I can feel his sense of guilt."

Alec's father, Bill Nelson, of Dix Hills, said he and his wife feel compelled to write Palange and his family a letter, sharing some of their personal coping methods. They asked that the elderly and grief-stricken relative who hit their son not be identified.

Lisa Cavallaro of Carle Place wants desperately to tell Palange the pain will ease. But as it's been just eight months since her daughter, Agatha, died, "I can't tell them it will be better, because it won't," she said. "I don't know what comfort I can be to anybody because I'm still in pain."

The Gulbransens, Nelsons and Cavallaros now share a passion for fighting to make vehicles safer for children and educating the public about SUV dangers.

Gulbransen travels often to Washington, D.C., talking to politicians and committees about the Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act, named after his son and introduced by Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford). The bill aims to make safety devices, such as video cameras on the backs of SUVs, a requirement for the auto industry.

Hearing about Bobby Palange didn't throw Gulbransen back into the throes of sadness and guilt, as it did when he heard about Agatha Cavallaro. Time has helped, he said, but he also finds strength in pushing to effect policy change.

"We're at the point where we're continuing forward, we are being positive," he said. "It doesn't drag me down. It just reinforces the fact that we need to work harder."

The Nelsons are planning a 4-mile race in April to remember Alec and raise funds for various support agencies, including Kids And Cars, a national nonprofit group that tracks non-traffic-related accidents involving children.

Janette Fennell, founder of the Kansas-based group, said there have been nine back-over deaths across the country so far this year. But because there are no government agencies devoted to tracking such deaths, Fennell said, it's possible the number is higher.

Lisa Cavallaro said she wants to see cameras become standard on all SUVs. "I think it should be a law and not just an optional thing," she said.

The Nelsons, Gulbransens and Lisa Cavallaro met for the first time in November during a charity event for Kids And Cars in Upper Brookville that raised about $60,000. They say meeting each other helped see they are not alone in their grief. On Sunday, the Gulbransens and the Nelsons had lunch.

"We clicked right away," Lisa Cavallaro said of meeting the other families. She and Adriann Nelson were both expecting new babies -- a sign, they say, that shows them there is reason to move on, while keeping the memories of Agatha and Alec alive. Cavallaro is due next month and Nelson could give birth any day.

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The Problem of Blind Spots - The area behind your vehicle can be a killing zone: - www.consumerreports.org

Every year, children are injured and killed because drivers (in some cases, parents) don't see them while backing up. According to Kids and Cars, a nonprofit group that wants to improve child safety around cars, back over incidents killed 91 children in 2003. Those deaths represented a 57 percent increase from 2002.

A contributing factor is that larger vehicles (SUVs, pickups, and minivans), which have become increasingly popular, have larger blind spots than passenger cars. A blind spot is the area behind a vehicle that a person can't see from the driver's seat.

To help consumers understand how large some blind spots are, Consumer Reports has measured the blind spots of a number of popular models. The results for both an average-height driver (5 feet 8 inches) and a shorter driver (5 feet 1 inch) are listed in the chart below.

To measure the blind spots, a 28-inch traffic cone was positioned behind the vehicle at the point where the driver could just see its top. As the illustration shows, longer and taller vehicles tend to have significantly larger blind spots. (The shading shows the length of each blind spot; lighter for an average-height driver, darker for a shorter driver.)

Bottom line: Your best defense against back over accidents is to get out of your vehicle and check behind it just before you back up. If kids are nearby, make sure you can see them while backing up.

Blind-spot measurements

This chart shows the length of the blind spot of each listed vehicle. The distance noted is how far behind the vehicle a 28-inch traffic cone had to be before the person, sitting in the driver's seat, could see its top by looking through the rear window.

Consumer Reports Chart

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Nonfatal Motor Vehicle Related Back over Injuries Among Children - United States, 2001-2003

Motor-vehicle (MV)--related backovers (i.e., incidents involving children being struck by or rolled over by a vehicle moving in reverse) represent a risk for severe injury and death. To characterize nonfatal MV back over injuries among children, CDC analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which determined that, during 2001--2003, an estimated 7,475 children (2,492 per year) aged 1--14 years were treated for nonfatal MV back over injuries in U.S. hospital emergency departments. The report also highlights differences in type and severity of MV back over injuries by age and underscores the need for effective interventions. NEISS-AIP data can increase the understanding of nonfatal MV back over injuries and help guide the development of prevention strategies, such as education, environmental improvements, and changes in vehicle design, that might help reduce these injuries among children.

NEISS-AIP provides data on approximately 500,000 consumer product-- and injury-related ED cases each year. Operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the program collects data on initial visits for all types and causes of injuries treated in EDs (3). NEISS-AIP data are drawn from a nationally representative subsample of 66 of 100 hospitals selected as a stratified probability sample of U.S. hospitals with a minimum of six beds and a 24-hour ED.

For this study, MV back over injury cases were identified from narratives abstracted from medical records. NEISS-AIP obtains data for each nonfatal injury regarding the principal diagnosis, body part primarily affected, external cause of injury, ED discharge disposition, and location of the incident (e.g., home or public place). Cases were defined as nonfatal injuries to children aged 1--14 years as a result of being struck by or rolled over by an MV (e.g., car, truck, van, or sport utility vehicle) moving in reverse in a driveway, parking lot, or on a street. Cases involving child pedestrians (i.e., children standing, sitting, lying, playing, or walking) or children riding bicycles or tricycles near or behind an MV were included. Cases involving children injured while getting into or out of stationary MVs were excluded.

Each case was assigned a sample weight based on the inverse probability of selection; these weights were summed to provide national estimates of MV back over injuries. Estimates were based on weighted data for 168 children treated for MV back over injuries at NEISS-AIP hospital EDs during 2001--2003. Population estimates for 2001--2003 were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau to compute injury rates. A direct variance estimation procedure was used to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and to account for the complex sample design.

Of the 168 cases identified, 81 (48.2%) involved children aged 1--4 years; 92 (54.8%) of the children were male. Injuries occurred predominantly to the head, face, and neck region (47 cases [28.0%]) and to the extremities (90 cases [53.6%]). Injuries to the head, face, and neck region decreased with age, from a high of 31 (38.3%) among children aged 1--4 years to a low of three (7.5%) among those aged 10--14 years. Injuries to the extremities, specifically the lower part of the body, increased with age, from 24 (29.6%) among children aged 1--4 years to 29 (72.5%) among those aged 10--14 years. Ninety-four (56.0%) children sustained minor contusions and abrasions, and these varied by age group, from 40 (49.4%) among those aged 1--4 years to 25 (62.5%) among those aged 10--14 years. More serious injuries, such as fractures and internal injuries, occurred among 47 (28.0%) children; this proportion decreased with age, from 32 (39.5%) among children aged 1--4 years to seven (17.5%) among those aged 10--14 years.

The 168 study cases were weighted to provide estimates for the United States overall. During 2001--2003, an estimated 7,475 (CI = 4,453--10,497) children were treated in EDs for nonfatal MV back over injuries, at an annual rate of 4.40 per 100,000 age-specific population (CI = 2.62--6.18) (Table). Among all ages, the rate for females (4.60) was slightly higher than that for males (4.21). Approximately 86% of the injured children were classified as pedestrians; these children sustained MV back over injuries at a rate six times greater (3.78) than that of children who were riding a bicycle or tricycle (0.62). Nontraffic events (i.e., those not occurring on public roadways) accounted for approximately 61% of MV back over incidents, a rate of 2.67. Location of the incident was known in approximately 80% of cases; the majority of injuries occurred either at home (47.4%) or on public property (31.9%). For at least 40% of all cases, injuries occurred in driveways or parking lots. A majority of injured children (78.1%) were treated and released from the ED.

Check Out the Graph!

Reported by: R Patel, MPH, AM Dellinger, PhD, Div of Unintentional Injury Prevention; JL Annest, PhD, Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC.

Editorial Note:
The findings in this report indicate that, during 2001--2003, an estimated 2,492 children aged 1--14 years were injured annually after being struck by or rolled over by an MV moving in reverse. Many were pedestrians near or behind an MV and were at home when the incident occurred. The majority were treated and released from hospitals. A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examined death certificate data and identified approximately 47 deaths in 1998 among children under the age of 19 years that were attributable to MV back over injuries (4). Of these deaths, 21 occurred in driveways. The results of this study are consistent with those of other studies that illustrate the risk children face when left unattended near or behind an MV (1,2,5--7).

The findings in this report are subject to at least four limitations. First, NEISS-AIP captures only injuries treated in hospital EDs and does not include children seen in physician offices and clinics or who might not have received medical care. Second, NEISS-AIP provides national estimates only and does not allow for estimates by region, state, or local jurisdiction. Third, cases were identified from narratives obtained from medical records, but not all medical charts contained complete descriptions of events, such as whether a vehicle was in reverse. Finally, in cases with multiple injuries, only data regarding the most severe injury are recorded.

Various prevention strategies, including education, environmental modifications, and changes in vehicle design, might reduce the risk for MV back over injuries among children. Public education to increase awareness among parents and caregivers should emphasize the following: 1) adults should adequately supervise children who are playing in areas near parked MVs, 2) drivers should look carefully for children before and while backing up, and 3) MVs should be locked in garages or driveways with keys kept out of reach of children (6,8). Potential environmental modifications include fenced driveways, fenced play areas away from driveways and streets, and circular driveway designs that eliminate the need to back out. Potential automobile modifications include back-up warning alarms when vehicles are placed in reverse or mirrors, sensing devices, or cameras to alert drivers to out-of-sight objects, such as small children (1). Research is needed to determine the effectiveness of such approaches.

Data from injury surveillance systems such as NEISS-AIP highlight the preventable morbidity and mortality resulting from MV-related back over injuries in children. Effective engineering and environmental approaches to prevent MV-related back over injuries need to be identified, evaluated, and disseminated to public health and transportation officials and policy makers for implementation nationwide. Meanwhile, drivers and caregivers can take simple precautions to prevent these injuries. To this end, child MV safety programs and health professionals should ensure that parents, caregivers, and the public are aware of the risks for injury associated with MV backovers and appropriate prevention measures.

Acknowledgments
This report is based on information contributed by T Schroeder, MS, C Irish, and other staff, Div of Hazard and Injury Data Systems, US Consumer Product Safety Commission. K Gotsch, MPH, P Holmgreen, MS, Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC.
References
1. Winn DG, Agran PF, Castillo DN. Pedestrian injuries to children and youth younger than 5 years of age. Pediatrics 1991;88:776--82.
2. Agran PF, Winn D, Castillo D. Unsupervised children and youth in vehicles: a risk for pediatric trauma. Pediatrics 1991;87:70--3.
3. CDC. National estimates of nonfatal injuries treated in hospital emergency departments---United States, 2000. MMWR 2001;50:340--6.
4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data collection study: deaths and injuries resulting from certain non-traffic and non-crash events. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; May 2004. Available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/nontraffic-noncrash/images/noncrash.pdf.
5. Brison RJ, Wicklund K, Mueller BA. Fatal pedestrian injuries to young children and youth: a different pattern of injury. Am J Public Health 1988;78:793--5.
6. Nadler EP, Courcoulas AP, Gardner MJ, Ford HR. Driveway injuries in children and youth: risk factors, morbidity, and mortality. Pediatrics 2001;108:326--8.
7. CDC. Injuries and deaths among children and youth left unattended in or around motor vehicles---United States, July 2000--June 2001. MMWR 2002;51:570--2.
8. Wright MS. Non ambulatory"pedestrians": infants injured by motor vehicles in driveways. Clin Pediat 1998;37:515--8.

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Consumers in trucks drive demand for backup sensors

By David Kiley USA TODAY
DETROIT — Consumers, many now driving trucks with big blind spots that block the view behind them, are rushing the market for alarms that warn when they are backing close to something.

Drivers of minivans, pickups and sport-utility vehicles are backing into and killing an average 88 people a year, besides causing billions of dollars of property damage. That's out of an average 116 people a year killed — a third of them children — by any kind of vehicle backing up, says the Centers for Disease Control.

Backup alarms that beep inside a truck or car when it is backing close to something are becoming one of the hottest automotive products, either as a manufacturer's option or aftermarket addition. Outside, the systems look like several buttons set into the bumper. Inside, they beep faster as the vehicle nears an obstruction.

Ford Motor has one of the most sophisticated systems. It uses signals from both sonar and radar sensors in the rear bumper to detect moving and stationary obstacles up to 20 feet behind the vehicle.

Ford figured 20% of buyers would take the option last year on its Lincoln Navigator full-size SUV. Instead, 80% did, so Ford made it standard on the '03 Navigator and is looking to expand the number of models that offer it.

That kind of demand has created additional problems:
* Drivers who have the alarms are developing false confidence. Automakers say most of the systems are designed to prevent backing into stationary obstacles, such as posts or other cars, and can't reliably detect children, pets or other moving objects.

"That's why we don't market our systems for safety, but rather as convenience, even though our new system sees moving objects," says Ford product design engineer Bob Kwiecinski.

Some automakers have begun using rear-view cameras to better detect unseen children and pets. Nissan's Infiniti Q45 sedan has an optional camera that shows what's behind the car on the navigation system's screen. Honda has a similar camera system standard on its Acura MDX SUV and charges $900 for it on the Honda Pilot SUV.

* Buyers are frustrated to learn there aren't enough systems to equip all models and that they have to pay as much as $1,000 when they can find the option.

"Interest starts to decline when the price exceeds $500," says Frank Forkin at consultant J.D. Power and Associates.

Automakers are diverting most of the alarms to luxury models because buyers of those crave new gadgets and can afford to pay extra for them. But buyers of lower-price vans and SUVs are most likely to want the devices.

"We are seeing huge demand for our system, mostly among SUV buyers," says Lexus spokeswoman Nancy Hubbell, who says the company hasn't decided when to offer it on SUVs. Only the $55,000-plus, top-end Lexus LS430 sedan offers an alarm, and 61% of buyers get the device, twice what was expected.

Independent accessory companies are trying to fill the gap. Rostra Precision Controls, for instance, sells a $400 microwave-based system that detects stationary and moving objects up to 12 feet behind a vehicle. The company sold 5,000 units, mostly through car dealers, last year and says sales will climb to 10,000 units this year. More than 80% are bought for SUVs and minivans.

No government standards apply to backup warning systems. They are legal to sell even if they don't work as expected. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is studying systems that help vehicles avoid colliding on the highway, but those don't include backup alarms.

Insurance companies say they are keen to minimize backup damage, especially on SUVs, which can cost up to twice as much to repair as cars do after 5-mile-an-hour impacts. But so far, the big insurers, including State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance, aren't offering discounts for vehicles with backup alarms, as they do for vehicles with anti-lock brakes and anti-theft systems.

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