PRESS RELEASE

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:     Matthew A. Stefanak, M.P.H.

                     Health Commissioner

                     330-270-2855 ext. 144

                     mstefanak@mahoning-health.org

 

 

DATE:             February 7, 2005

 

 

 

CHILD DEATH REVIEW BOARD RECOMMENDS CHANGES TO OHIO’S GRADUATED MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR LICENSING LAW

 

Youngstown, OH, February 7, 2005 – The Mahoning County Child Fatality Review Board has recommended that Ohio strengthen its graduated licensing law for teen drivers.  Ohio doesn’t make the grade for its minimum age for a learner’s permit, for its nighttime driving restrictions, and for its lack of any passenger restrictions,” according to Board Chair Matthew Stefanak.  

 

This finding was among several recommendations made by the Board based on its review of the 40 child deaths that were reported in Mahoning County in 2003.  Since its creation in 2000, the Board has reviewed nine motor vehicle-related deaths of teen drivers and passengers.  Almost all of these deaths shared common risk factors: (1) a teen driver without an adult in the vehicle, and (2) at least one teen passenger in the vehicle.  Further, most of the crashes that caused these deaths occurred during the late evening or early morning hours.

 

The mission of the Mahoning County Child Fatality Review Board is to decrease the incidence of preventable fetal and child deaths by:

 

·         Promoting cooperation, collaboration, and communication between all groups, professions, agencies, or entities that serve families and children

·         Maintaining a comprehensive database of all fetal and child deaths that occur in Mahoning County in order to develop an understanding of the causes and incidences of those deaths

·         Recommending local service and program changes to the groups, professions, agencies, or entities that serve families and children that might prevent fetal and child deaths.

·         Advising the Ohio Department of Health of aggregate data, trends, and patterns concerning child deaths.

 

The Child Fatality Review Board’s Report of Child Deaths in 2003 is available at http://www.mahoning-health.org/healthreports-annualreports.asp.