The day before the Broncos take on the Seahawks in Superbowl XLVII, Safe Kids Treasure Valley is encouraging parents to take a moment and mark the first annual National TV Safety Day on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Safe Kids Worldwide partnered with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) to launch this day to help raise awareness and to reduce television tip-over accidents involving children.

Although this may seem like a rare accident, it is surprisingly a very common occurrence. Every 45 minutes a child visits the emergency room in a television tip-over accident. Unfortunately, accidents like this are increasing; over the past 10 years there has been a 31 percent increase.

 Televisions that are not properly mounted or secured present a risk to children. Over the past decade a child visited the emergency department every 45 minutes for treatment of injuries caused by a television tip over.

Much of these increase in incidents are likely due to family’s replacing their old cathode ray tube (CRT) TV with a new flat screen model. The CRT TVs are then relocated or stored in inappropriate places around the home that children can often access.

CRT TVs are especially dangerous because of their weight. A 36 inch CRT TV that falls three feet has the same momentum as a one year old falling ten stories. Every three weeks, one of such incidences results in death.

Many families have newer flat screen televisions in their homes, but those types of televisions also create danger if not secured properly.The slimmer frames of these new flat screen televisions are easier for smaller hands to grasp when placed on a table.

Participate with Safe Kids and CEA in making your home safer on February 1^st for game day preparation:

• If you have any bulky CRT sets, place them on low stable tables.
• Invest in a safe mounting system for a flat screen television
• If you are looking to discard of an older model, consider recycling or donating. Visit greenergadgets.org to look for places nearby for recycling.

Safe Kids Treasure Valley works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Treasure Valley is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Treasure Valley is led by St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit safekids.org or safekids.org/coalition/safe-kids-treasure-valley.