The National Transportation Safety Board announced it will address the safety of children traveling in airplanes or in cars when it holds a public forum on child passenger safety in December.

"American families are on the go, and children today are frequent travelers almost from the time they are born," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "Much more should be done to reduce fatalities and injuries of our smallest travelers, whether they are in a jumbo jet or their family's car."

The forum on Dec. 9 in Washington, D.C.. will be geared to providing parents and care givers information they can use immediately to protect their children while traveling. The forum will explore current education and other safety advocacy efforts by non-profit groups and government, as well as the continuing problem of non-use of child seats and seat belts by a significant portion of the traveling public.

Safety experts from the transportation industry, trade associations, unions, advocacy groups, and federal government will be asked to discuss the best approaches for keeping children safe while flying and riding in cars, how to increase the use of child seats and seat belts, and the importance of government data collection on the issue of non-use.

The NTSB has issued 33 safety recommendations addressing child passenger safety; 12 of these safety recommendations have been or currently are on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.

The forum, titled "Child Passenger Safety in the Air and in Automobiles", will be held at the NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. Parents, care givers, and others interested in child safety are encouraged to view the forum in person or by webcast on the NTSB's Web site, www.ntsb.gov. Additional information about the forum can be found at www.ntsb.gov/children.