Waukee Cub Scouts to Learn Auto Safety Tonight at Shottenkirk Chevrolet

Safe Kids Greater Des Moines, in partnership with 60 members of the Cub Scouts Pack #178 of and will unveil a new hands-on program to help educate 6 to 10 year-olds about vehicle safety that’s designed to help kids spot danger and keep them out of the emergency room. 

The program will be held tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Shottenkirk Chevrolet in Waukee.

“Most families know that car seats are vitally important,” said Anne Garinger, Safe Kids Greater Des Moines Coordinator. “But children in and around cars can face dangers other than crashes. How many kids can stand behind a car before they can be seen by a driver? How long does it take for the inside of a car to reach dangerous temperatures on a sunny day? We teach these simple lessons in a fun way that can help prevent injuries and fatalities in children.”

Cub Scouts must complete five interactive stations in order to earn their automotive safety patch. The program will cover several aspects of safety, including proper safety belt/booster seat usage, preventing trunk entrapment, teaching families to never leave a child alone in a vehicle and how to contact OnStar in the event of an emergency.

The automotive safety patch program is an important way to promote a family-oriented automotive safety experience. While the program is designed for 6-to 10-year olds, parents and siblings of the Scouts are encouraged to attend and learn as a family.

“Cub Scouts are young leaders that can take this education and apply it in their own neighborhoods to help keep themselves and other children safer,” said Garinger. “Safe Kids Worldwide is already hearing from pack leaders and parents about how their Scouts have stopped neighbors and friends from getting into potentially dangerous situations when children are around vehicles.”

Demonstration vehicles and support for this program will be provided by Shottenkirk Chevrolet. “We are proud to be involved in a program that could have such a positive impact on the children in our area,” says Eric Swanson, Shottenkirk Cevrolet. “Vehicle safety is a top priority at our dealership and our participation in the Automotive Safety Patch program allows us to bring that commitment directly to families.”

The new program fits right in with Cub Scouting’s goals. “All across America on any given day of the week, volunteers and parents are transporting their young boys from activity to activity,” said Bryce Linkvis, Pack #178. “We want to educate all of our members and leaders to help ensure our Scouts are safe when they travel whether it’s for a pack activity or a family vacation. Cub Scouting has always been about education, and we see this opportunity as a logical step in helping our boys and their parents.”