9/5/2014
Child Passenger Safety Week reminds us how to keep young ones safe when driving
BOISE - Keeping children safe on the road means putting them in the right safety restraint at the right age. That’s the message the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) hope will take hold with parents and childcare providers during National Child Passenger Safety Week Sept. 14 – 20.
To help parents and caregivers in Idaho select the right car seats for their children, certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will hold free car seat-check events:
Monday, Sept. 15, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m., at St. Luke’s Magic Valley, Twin Falls
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., at St. Luke’s Meridian
Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., at Benewah County Hospital, St. Maries
“Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts are often used incorrectly and one child under age 13 is involved in a crash every 34 seconds,” said Sherry Jenkins, with ITD’s Office of Highway Safety. “No parent wants to ever get it wrong when it comes to his or her children’s safety. That’s why we’re hosting these consumer education events during National Child Passenger Safety Week. Parents can come out and know for sure that their kids are as safe as possible when riding in a car.”
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children ages 1 to 13. She added that using age- and size-appropriate child restraints are the best way to reduce these deaths.
“In 2012, more than one-third of child passengers killed in car crashes weren’t in car seats, booster seats, or wearing seat belts,” she said. “Those kids could have survived if they had been buckled up.”
“When children under 7 years old grow out of car seats, their greatest risk is not being placed in booster seats,” Jenkins added. “Booster seats can save lives and are as important as any of the other restraints. And, they’re available for as little as $20.”
From 2009 to 2013, 17 children under age 7 were killed in Idaho passenger vehicle crashes. Of those, nine were unrestrained.
Child Passenger Safety Week is dedicated to teaching parents and caregivers about the importance of correctly installing and using of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. Parents also will be reminded of the importance of registering car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall.
NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he or she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. After outgrowing the car seats, children should be placed in booster seats until they are big enough to fit seat belts properly without help from a booster seat. The safest place for all kids under 13 is in the back seat of the car.
For more information on child car safety go to safercar.gov/parents or http://itd.idaho.gov/ohs/ChildSafety/index.html