A New Year's Resolution That Could Save Your Child's Life: Keep Your Kids Properly Buckled Up!

LOS ANGELES -- New CA Law: Children under 6 Years Old or 60 Pounds Must Ride in Back Seat; CHP, 21st and Erik Estrada to Host Child Seat Safety Event this Saturday

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children two years of age, and for people of every age from four to 34 years old. Here's another alarming statistic from NHTSA: more than 70% of child safety seats are improperly installed and are a potential source of injury for children. To help reduce preventable injuries and deaths, 21st Century Insurance (NYSE:TW) and the California Highway Patrol will conduct a car seat safety inspection and installation fair on Saturday, January 15 in East Pasadena. Specially trained CHP officers will inspect, install and, if necessary, replace car seats donated by 21st for local residents. Actor Erik Estrada (parent of a five year-old daughter), will also be on hand to promote this important cause.

This weekend's child seat safety event is particularly timely because an important update to California's child seat safety law just went into effect on January 1, 2005. All children under age 6 or weighing less than 60 pounds must be secured in a child passenger restraint (child safety or booster seat) and now must ride in the back seat. Exceptions to the new law include vehicles with no rear seat or with side-facing rear seats.

"Wearing your seat belt and making sure your children are properly buckled up is the best insurance against being killed or seriously injured in many vehicle crashes," said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown.

In addition to the new changes to California's child seat safety law, federal statistics continue to show a critical need for education regarding booster seat usage. For example:

--According to recent data from NHTSA, at least 80 percent of children who should ride in booster seats currently do not.

--NHTSA recommends that children who weigh over 40 pounds or who have outgrown their 5-point harness system should be placed in a booster seat.

--Using a booster seat allows the seat belt to be positioned across the child where it is most effective and lowers the risk of injury to children in crashes by 59 percent, compared with the use of vehicle safety belts.

At Saturday's child seat safety event, CHP officers will show parents the proper technique for installing car seats and will also demonstrate common mistakes made by parents. In addition to receiving hands-on instructions, parents interested in tips on selecting the right car seat can also pick up a copy of 21st's Child Safety Seats: A Parent's Guide. Available at 21st.com, the guide includes key tips such as:

--All children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in the back seat.

--Never place a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat where a front-mounted passenger air bag is present.

--Never use a car seat that has been in a collision; is cracked, broken or missing parts; or does not have a label with date of manufacturer and model number.

Now entering its fourth year, the 21st Century Insurance and CHP partnership has achieved some impressive milestones. Since the program's inception, the CHP has conducted more than 2,500 inspections, removed and destroyed over 1,200 hazardous seats, and 21st has donated over 1,800 new seats to California families. The Pasadena safety fair is the first such event for 2005, and will be followed by events in San Diego, Riverside, Fresno, Redding and San Jose.

"At 21st Century Insurance, the safety of all motorists and passengers on the road is a huge priority," said Joyce Prager, Assistant Vice President, Community Relations. "As a California-based company, we are committed to helping our fellow Californians obtain proper child safety seats and additional life-saving advice on how to protect their young passengers and themselves while driving."

In addition to 21st Century Insurance's joint safety efforts with the CHP, the insurer also offers California drivers the 2005 Crash Test Ratings Guide. The guide compiles crash test data from the Insurance Information Institute for 2005 autos, vans, and SUV's and recommends the "Best Pick" for safety conscious consumers in each category of vehicle based on the crash test results.

All of 21st Century Insurance's consumer guides are available in English and Spanish and can be obtained by contacting the company's corporate headquarters at 1-800-211-SAVE or visiting its Web site, 21st.com.

For more information regarding the proper installation of child safety seats, each of the CHP's 102 area offices has designated one day a week when the public can schedule an appointment to have child safety seats inspected and get instruction and assistance with proper seat installation. A list of office locations and telephone numbers is available in the telephone directory or on the CHP web site at www.chp.ca.gov.

About 21st: Good people to call

Founded in 1958, 21st Century Insurance Group is a direct-to-consumer provider of personal auto insurance covering over 1.5 million vehicles and with $1.3 billion of premiums in California and eight other Western, Southwestern and Midwestern states. 21st provides superior policy features and customer service at a competitive price. 24/7, customers have the option to purchase insurance, service their policy or report a claim over the phone with our licensed insurance professionals at 1-800-211-SAVE (English) or 1-888-920-2121 (Spanish) or through the Company's full-service bilingual Web site at 21st.com. 21st Century Insurance Company, 21st Century Casualty Company and 21st Century Insurance Company of the Southwest are rated A+ by A.M. Best. 21st Century Insurance Company and 21st Century Casualty Company are rated A+ by Standard & Poor's.

21st Century Insurance Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol TW and is headquartered at 21st Century Plaza, 6301 Owensmouth Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367.