Columbus, OH - Today, Nationwide announced four areas of focus for its signature cause program, Make Safe Happen, which is dedicated to reducing accidental injuries -- the leading cause of death in children 0-12. The first half of the year will bring two new safety focus areas -- safe nurseries in Q1, and wheel safety in Q2, including bikes, scooters and other wheel-based activities. In the second half of the year, Make Safe Happen will continue to expand its work nationally, as well as locally around water safety and fire safety (including Home Fire Drill Day).

Now in its third year, the Make Safe Happen expert advisory council and its nonprofit program partners, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide, are committed to these focus areas based on alarming statistics about their impact on children’s well-being. There are positive, preventative measures caregivers can take to keep children safe in their cribs and nurseries. And while bike safety is a long-standing issue accounting for more accidents than any other sport, other wheeled activities must be addressed as well, including scooters, roller blades, skateboards and wheeled shoes.

“We aim to reach as many parents and caregivers as possible with potentially life-saving safety messages,” said Mike Boyd, Senior Vice President of Brand at Nationwide. “Through Make Safe Happen, we empowered more than 1 million safety actions last year, and based on our success in surpassing this goal, we aim to spark more than 3 million safety actions in 2017. This program is an extension of Nationwide’s proud and long-standing commitment to protecting what matters most to families – their children.”

Q1: Safe NurseriesMake Safe Happen found that Google searches and social media curation for “nursery décor” and similar phrases peak between January and March, making the first few months of the year the most critical time to share information about nursery safety.

• Emergency departments treated more than 65,000 children for nursery-related injuries in 2015 (Centers for Disease Control)
• Sleep-related deaths are the leading cause of infant mortality for children under age 1; 90 percent of these deaths occur before an infant reaches the age of 6 months (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Recent guidance from the AAP notes that putting infants on their backs to sleep is the most effective way to prevent death; yet the number of parents following this advice hasn’t changed in the past decade

Make Safe Happen has a variety of tools and resources for new and expectant parents as they prepare their homes. At makesafehappen.com, on the Make Safe Happen app, and through this video, parents can learn and share ways to design their nursery in the safest way possible:

• Keep the crib free of blankets, toys, and bumpers, as these can cause suffocation
• Position the crib away from windows and anchor book shelves, dressers and changing tables to the wall to prevent tip-overs
• When it comes to changing tables, always use the safety straps on the changing pad and try to keep a hand on your infant whenever he or she is on the table
• Décor and accessories with cords or strings, such as hanging mobiles, name banners and baby monitors should not be in or near a crib
• Babies sleep a lot – sometimes up to 17 hours a day. It’s important for parents and caregivers to learn the ABCs of infant sleep safety: alone, back, crib

Nationwide believes that safety and style can go together. To help parents achieve the nursery of their dreams while adhering to these guiding safety principles, Make Safe Happen has teamed with design and parenting influencer Taryn Whiteaker. Taryn is the owner of the blog, Design, Diapers and Dining, and is working with Make Safe Happen to curate style tips and ideas that are high on design, while keeping safety top of mind.

“I am honored to work with Make Safe Happen, as keeping children safe in their homes is an issue close to my heart” said Whiteaker. “I dedicated my career to my own children and household, while also aiming to inspire other parents and caregivers with DIY ideas, to help keep their families happy and healthy. Our partnership – focused on safety first, while keeping an eye on style – is a natural fit.”

Q2: Safety on WheelsThe second focus of the year is wheel safety, slated to address the need for solutions to traditional and modern wheel safety concerns. Children regularly play on bikes, scooters, skateboards and wheeled shoes – all of which pose great health benefits, as well as potential safety hazards. In partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide, Make Safe Happen will release new research this spring on parents’ and caregivers’ attitudes and behaviors surrounding these wheeled activities.

Q3: Water Safety and Q4: Fire SafetyThe remainder of the year will focus on water and fire safety – two legacy areas for the program. Grassroots efforts in partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide and the American Red Cross will include hundreds of sponsored safety events and activities in communities across the country. The second annual Home Fire Drill Day will take place on October 14, 2017, aimed at promoting the regular practice of family fire drills.

For more information on Make Safe Happen, please visit makesafehappen.com.

About Make Safe Happen®

Make Safe Happen is a program dedicated to reducing accidental injury – the leading cause of death among children. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly nine million children are treated at emergency rooms across the country and more than 9,000 children die each year due to accidental injuries. Protecting child safety and wellbeing for more than 60 years, Nationwide launched Make Safe Happen in 2015 to empower parents, caregivers and children with tools and resources to make homes safer. Together with its Advisory Council, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide, Make Safe Happen is committed to inspiring three million safety actions by the end of 2017 with the hope of reducing childhood accidental injury and death. To learn more and take action, visit makesafehappen.com.