This national initiative raises awareness about vehicle seat use and encourages caregivers to have their children’s auto seats inspected by a certified CPS technician.
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“We know that proper use of auto seats and booster seats can help prevent many child injuries and deaths”, said Gloria Del Castillo, child passenger safety expert at Cincinnati Children’s.
Most parents think they are using their vehicle seat correctly. You want to keep them rear-facing as long as they can up to the manufacturers recommendation or two years of age. Drivers also may visit SaveMeWithASeat.com to learn if a child should be in a rear-facing seat, forward-facing seat or booster seat.
PennDOT reports that from 2011-2015, 82 percent of children under age 4 who were involved in crashes and restrained in a child seat sustained no injury. “It’s always based on the child’s age and size, and of course how you use it”. Families can find a car-seat inspection station online through the link below.
“Incredibly, during statewide inspections, only 26 percent of children under age 8 were in vehicle seats that were being used correctly”.
To kick off National Child Passenger Safety Week 2016, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Traffic Safety Education Program is collaborating with other Livingston County agencies to hold several events promoting the focus of this campaign. The law further states the child must be restrained with the seat belt properly adjusted and fastened, or continue using an appropriately-fitting child restraint system.
The goal is to make sure parents are using the right seats for their child’s age, size, and buckling in kids properly. The Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau, in partnership with the Crawfordsville Fire Department and Franciscan Health, provides a vehicle seat safety program for all residents of Montgomery County.
Kohl’s Buckle Buddies provides free Car Seat Safety Classes and Car Seat Check Events. Technicians use these records to notify caregivers if a seat is recalled.
“When I was first starting with auto seats, it was 1-year-old, it was rear facing”, Winkler said. The chest clip should be positioned at armpit level.
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Safe Kids Worldwide has also launched a new resource, the Ultimate Car Seat Guide, to provide parents easy-to-access expert advice to protect their children in cars.
