9/7/2016
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Child Passenger Safety Week reminds drivers to keep young ones safe, first car-seat check Saturday in Jerome
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 to convey to parents and childcare providers during National Child Passenger Safety Week Sept. 18-24.
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. Call to make an appointment.
Wednesday, Sept. 21: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., at Wal-Mart, 2470 Pullman Road, Moscow (no appointments necessary)
Thursday, Sept. 22: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., at Kootenai Health Dept, Coeur d’Alene (208) 625-4642
Saturday, Sept. 24: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Kohl’s Meridian store, Eagle Road & Ustick, (208) 381-1719
There are two additional car seat-check events being offered:
Saturday, Sept. 10: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Con Paulos, 251 E. Frontage Road S., Jerome (no appointments are necessary), courtesy of Magic Valley SafeKids
Saturday, Sept. 17: 10 a.m. – noon, at Chubbuck City Offices, 5160 Yellowstone Ave., Chubbuck (208) 238 2376
“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 and the month of September. 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 2015, two of every five child passengers under seven years old killed in car crashes weren’t secured in car seats, booster seats, or wearing seat belts,” she said. “Those kids would have had a higher chance of surviving had they been buckled up.”
“When children under seven 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 2011 to 2015, 22 children under age seven were killed in Idaho passenger vehicle crashes. Of those, 12 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.
Another fact worth mentioning is that from 2010 to 2014 nationally, there were 398 children killed while riding in the front seats. The safest place for all kids under 13 years of age is in the back seat of the car.