January 31, the day before the big game, is National TV Safety Day. Safe Kids Worldwide, along with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^® and its member companies, are teaming up to ask families to make sure they carefully follow manufacturers’ instructions for the safe installation of their TVs, including mounting and anchoring their TVs or placing their TVs on low, stable pieces of furniture that support the size and weight of the TVs.

Improperly-placed and poorly-secured falling TVs injure nearly 13,000 children every year in the United States, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Young children, those ages five and under, account for more than 70 percent of TV tip-over injuries. Safe Kids estimates that $8.3 million is spent each year in medical costs to treat injuries related to television tip-overs. More importantly, the human cost of these tragedies is incalculable. No family should ever lose a child due to a preventable incident like a falling TV.

What was once a single screen in the family room has, for many families, morphed into TVs in our bedrooms, our kitchens and our rec rooms, among other places. Today, the average U.S. household owns three TVs, according to CEA market research. Yes, TVs are getting larger and lighter all the time – but are we setting them up properly in our homes? Flat panel TVs that are not properly mounted on the wall or placed on inappropriate furniture can too easily be knocked off as kids play close by.

As TVs improve at the lightning-fast pace of innovation, we’re putting aside our older, heavier cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs. Those box-style TVs are often relegated to basements or spare rooms and forgotten. But when CRTs are placed on dressers or other tall furniture, they can tip over if children bump into or climb onto the furniture.

For TVs like these that are no longer in use – and 41 percent of U.S. homes still own a CRT TV – it’s safest to get them out of the house altogether. And by going to GreenerGadgets.org, you can find the responsible electronics recycling programs nearest your home just by entering your zip code.

“Anchor and protect” is the phrase used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to encourage parents to make TV rooms safe places for children. Ahead of Sunday’s game, help us spread the word about National TV Safety Day, and take the necessary precautions to secure the TVs in your home. The safety of your children, your grandchildren and your own peace of mind are worth the time and effort.

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, and author of the New York Times best-selling books, Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World's Most Successful Businesses and The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream. His views are his own. Connect with him on Twitter: @GaryShapiro.

Kate Carr is president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. Connect with her on Twitter: @safekidsceo.