September 16th
through the 22nd is National Child Passenger Safety Week. “Keeping children safe in vehicles is not as
easy as it sounds,” said Dr. Dean Kelaita, Calaveras County Health
Officer. “The safety seat must be one
that fits your child, and fits your vehicle,” Kelaita added. Car seats and booster seats protect children
birth – 8 years of age. The seat must be
used correctly each time a child travels in a vehicle.
Motor vehicle crashes are
the number one cause of death for children 1-13 years of age in the U.S. Children’s bodies are less able to withstand
the force of a crash. That is why safety
seats are required for infants and children.
A new 2012 law in California to protect children requires the use of a booster
seat for children until they are 4’9” or 8 year of age. A booster seat fits older children better
than adult seat belts and keeps them safer.
Children riding in a vehicle who are not in an age appropriate safety
seat have a higher risk of serious injury or death in a crash.
The Child Passenger Safety
Program in the Calaveras County Public Health Department coordinates free
services to families that include assessment, a safety seat, vehicle fitting
and education. Certified car seat technicians
participate in the Partners in Child Safety Coalition [PICS] to help families
find the right seat for their children under 8 years. Certified technicians are made available by
the Resource Connection, California Highway Patrol and the Public Health
Department. These technicians assess
each child and vehicle for the best safety seat, provide or replace a seat if
one is needed, fit the seat in the vehicle and provide education about securing
children in the seat and current safety seat laws. There is no cost for the services. A donation for a safety seat is welcomed but
no one is turned away for inability to make a donation.
The Public Health Department
offered advice for families about safety seat use:
·
Most car seats have expiration dates, usually located on the seat
bottom. Check the expiration date before
passing on a safety seat to a younger child.
If a date is not printed on the seat, contact the Public Health
Department with the model number and manufacturer.
·
Thrift stores and yard sales are not good sources to buy safety
seats. Seats may have been involved in a
crash. Even a minor crash may mean the
seat is no longer safe.
·
Recalled seats should be replaced.
You can contact the Public Health Department to check if your seat has
been recalled.
·
Kids need to use a booster seat until they are 4’9” or 8 years of age.
·
A child under 8 years of age who is at least 4’9” should be assessed by a
car seat technician to see if they can safely use adult seat belts.
·
A child over 8 years who is shorter than 4’9” should also be assessed to
see if they need to continue using a booster seat or can move to adult seat
belts.
Dr. Kelaita encouraged
families to take advantage of the vehicle safety services. “As parents we cannot always control if a vehicle
crash happens, but we can assure the best protection for our children as
passengers is used,” Kelaita said. “That
means making sure your child rides in the right seat, every time,” added
Kelaita.
To make an appointment with
a car seat technician near you, call the Child Passenger Safety Program at
754.6460.
