National statistics show fewer children are dying in traffic accidents, and Iowa mirrors the trend. In 1999, there were 29 children under the age of 15 died in traffic crashes. In 2000, 22 kids died. That’s nearly a 25 percent decrease. Lisa Lutz of the Iowa Department of Public Health works to improve the use of child safety seats, booster seats and seat belts and she attributes the drop to greater education about the need to use proper restraints for children who’re riding in cars. But Lutz says it’s too earlyto declare the trend in child traffic deaths is “definitely” on the downward slope in Iowa.