The seat belt and car seat did save my children's life
and I'm very grateful.
Road crashes and the injuries
and deaths they cause are preventable.
You can stay safe on the road
by wearing seat belts whenever you're in the car,
making sure that young children are in a car seat
or booster seat that's the right size for their age and weight
and choosing never to drink and drive.
The sad reality is that American Indian
and Alaska Natives use seat belts
and child safety seats less often, and are involved
in more alcohol-related crashes than any other group.
This results in a much greater risk of injury
and death on the road.
More than three out of every four passengers who died
in crashes on reservations weren't wearing a seatbelt.
[Announcer] Today, American Indians
and Alaska Natives suffer the highest death rates
of any ethnic group in the United States
from motor vehicle crashes.Motor vehicle crashes take more lives
in American Indian and Alaska Native communities- even more
than homicides and drowning.
[Announcer] Car crashes are the number one killer
of tribal people between the ages of 1 and 44.
Captain Nancy Bill personally witnessed their devastating
effects while growing up on the Navaho reservation.
[CAPT Nancy Bill] Seeing all the injuries
and fatalities really impacted not only myself personally,
as a family, also my relations and even neighbors that lived
in my community.
[Announcer] In 2006, Captain Bill's daughter
and two grandchildren were involved
in a motor vehicle crash in Gallup, New Mexico.
[CAPT Nancy Bill] As she was returning home she was rear
ended by another vehicle.
Her car was totaled.
The positive thing was that she
and the two children did not receive any injuries.
She was wearing her seatbelt.
Her two children, a two year-old and a four year-old,
were buckled in car seats.
[Announcer] The good news is that you can help keep yourself
and your passengers safe.
One sunny morning, Hannah Nez headed to the bank
with her two young children safely secured in the back seat.
The first thing I saw when I was about to crash was the semi
on the right side was coming into my lane.
My heart started to race really fast
and my son was only ten months old and my daughter was ten.
I tried to honk.
I don't remember if I honked or not and I slammed my brakes on.
After we got hit, there was people in the surrounding area
that came out and brought us water
and helped me take the kids out of the car.
[Announcer] You can be the solution to curb injury
and death from motor vehicle crashes.
I learned the importance of having the car seat in my car,
because children can't be replaced.
And you have to protect the things
that are the most important to you.
[Announcer] Buckling up our children in the right car seats
and booster seats is the most important step we can take
to protect them on the road.
[CAPT Nancy Bill] My message also to tribes is
that we have actually a responsibility as parents,
as caretakers, as grandmothers like me, to really look
after the future generation.
These crashes are a real threat to the health and well-being
of tribal people not only in this generation,
but for future generations.
Fortunately, you can stay safer on the road.
Wear a seatbelt every time.
Never drink and drive.
And make sure your kids are in the right size booster seat.