Child Safety

More children die from accidental injury than all childhood illnesses combined. Rather than bombard viewers with dry statistics, however, Child Safety uses some real life examples of children who were badly hurt in accidents--Josh, who suffered a head injury when he momentarily unbuckled his seat belt; Richard, a severely burned boy; and Justin, who fell from a tree. Starting with Josh's story, the program looks at the subjects of car, bike and rollerblading safety. After Richard's story, fire safety in general is examined, followed by kitchen safety tips, home alone safety, phone safety, strangers, guns, abductions and Internet chat rooms. Justin's fall sparks a discussion of bathroom safety, pool rules and beach visits, and a visit to the Johns Hopkins Safety Center. While all the information is solid and well presented by hostess Judith Ivey, the topics could have been more focused and better organized. Review safety check lists occasionally popped up, but again, fewer topics in a less random order would have been more effective. Still, this inexpensive program is recommended. Aud: P. (E. Druda)