Parents are encouraged to contact their local CHP Area office to make an appointment with a certified child safety seat technician for a free auto seat inspection or to request information on any child passenger safety events taking place in their area. Throughout the week, CHP officers will raise awareness of the importance of child safety seats by conducting community events statewide.
Advertisement
Safe Kids Oklahoma urges parents and caregivers to make sure their vehicle seats and booster seats are properly installed on “National Seat Check Saturday”. Additionally, all children ages 8 through 17 must use a seat belt.
“Every day, two children die and over 300 are injured in vehicle crashes, so this isn’t something we take lightly”, Brooks said.
Read and follow the auto seat and vehicle manufacturers’ instructions.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59 percent of auto seats are misused.
Primary Children’s Hospital has three, 30-second videos called “Keep your cupcake safe” to help parents with children from infants to teens.
Kohl’s Buckle Buddies provides free Car Seat Safety Classes and Car Seat Check Events.
As for infants and toddlers, AAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that they ride in a rear-facing seat until they are 2 years old or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the vehicle seat manufacturer. Also, according to NHTSA, about 24 percent of children ages 4 to 7 who should be riding in booster seats were prematurely moved to seat belts, and 9 percent were unbuckled altogether.
Use the auto seat’s seat belt or LATCH system to secure the child restraint to the vehicle. A new law that went into effect August 2016 requires a child under 2 years of age be securely fastened in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system, which is to be used until the child outgrows the maximum weight and limits designated by the manufacturer.
Make sure the seat’s harness fits snugly. No appointment necessary. A limited amount of seats are available.
Advertisement
Saturday, 9/24, Car Seat Safety Check – Menchies Frozen Yogurt, 5580 Sunset Blvd., 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
