If you have kids and are considering making a move but don’t know where you want to settle down, you might want to consider one of the top 10 safest places to raise kids. In the November 2006 issue of Child, a special report outlines the top ten states, along with some of the reasons why they are considered safe for kids. Here’s some highlights from the report.
#(1) Rhode Island
Improved the safety of playgrounds, minimized transportation-related deaths for children under the age of 18, first state to require kids wear helmets when riding scooters.
#(2) Connecticut
Each school district has a plan to help safeguard school kids who have life-threatening food allergies, requires safety education for boaters and the use of personal floatation devices while boating with kids under the age of 18, one of five states that made the most improvements in school bus crossing safety as mandated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
#(3) New Jersey
Has six pediatric trauma centers, has reduced the number of severe injuries on amusement park rides, most school buses are equipped with seat belts.
#(4) New York
Bans consumer fireworks, the first state to require that all cigarettes sold are “fire-safe” (meaning they are less lightly to ignite if dropped or discarded haphazardly), violent crime rate is down.
#(5) Massachusetts
Has the lowest rate of unintentional injury deaths for newborns to 12-year-olds, has the largest number of board certified emergency medicine doctors, has strong gun-safety laws, requires carbon monoxide monitors on most homes.
#(6) Illinois
Has the strongest recall law regarding the sale and notification of recalled products, has one of the highest playground safety scores from the National Program for Playground Safety, requires the use of booster seats through age 7, requires double the normal amount of time teens must receive in behind the wheel training before they can get their license, all paroled sex offenders are monitored by a GPS tracking system.
That’s the top six. In part two I will tell you about the rest of the top ten and also how the rest of the states ranked.
See also:
Is Your Child Safe In Your Car?
Should Your Child Still Be In a Booster Seat?