From the article, “Researchers tested 94 individuals, including 44 parents whose oldest child was 12-36 months, 30 day-care workers and 20 health-care professionals. A living room and a typical toddler’s bedroom were created in the laboratory to simulate a home environment. For a third room, they used an existing bathroom with a working sink, shower and toilet. In each room, the researchers placed items that were safety hazards for young children such as prescription medication, shower cleaner, a pair of scissors, overloaded electrical outlets and marbles”. Read the rest of the child injury article here to be sure you are doing the right things to prevent your child from these types of injuries.

Some numbers of what the program is doing for us(provided by the St. Pete Times):

By the numbers

157,000

Trade-ins of “clunkers” by Tuesday morning.

25.4

Average miles per gallon for new vehicles bought in the program.

15.9

Average miles per gallon for the trade-ins, more than 80 percent of which are trucks and SUVs.

700,000 tons

Amount of carbon emission that could be avoided if 250,000 gas guzzlers are replaced, as is expected under the original $1 billion program.

6.4 billion tons

Amount of carbon emissions by the United States last year.

Top 5 buys

• Ford Focus

• Toyota Corolla

• Honda Civic

• Toyota Prius

• Toyota Camry

Times reports that being most recent death of Leonardo Llana on March 3, 2009, is the third fatality on to exit ramp according to the Florida Highway Patrol. This young man died when his car lost control and struck the exit’s outside wall. Two years ago, a tanker truck driver died on the same ramp when his truck crashed and exploded. In 2001 a motorcycle rider also died at the scene and when his bike struck the wall.  This exit needs to be carefully evaluated by the Department of Transportation to ensure that there are no design defects causing these tragedies.