Car
Seat Safety
Crashes
#1 Killer of America's Kids
- Traffic
crashes are the leading cause of death and injury
to children ages 0-15. Six out of ten children
killed in crashes are completely unrestrained.
- There
are one-third fewer traffic fatalities to children
who ride properly restrained in the back seat.
- Seat
belts increase the chance of surviving a crash
by nearly 45 percent. Child safety seats, properly
installed, reduce the risk of death by 69 percent
for infants and 47 percent for toddlers.
- The
best way to get children buckled up is to get
adults buckled up. A recent study reported in
the journal of American Academy of Pediatrics
found "driver restraint use was the strongest
predictor of child restraint use... a restrained
driver was three times more likely to restrain
a child." And according to surveys by NHTSA,
when drivers aren't buckled, the number of children
riding with them who are also unrestrained mirrors
the adult level, reaching 76 percent.
- In
addition, a survey of parent who have infants
shows that the lack of adult belt use particularly
endangers babies. Parents who don't buckle up
are more likely to improperly place babies in
the front seat, leaving them at serious risk
of being injured or killed by an air bag.
How
to select the right car seat for your child (click
on the links below).
Infants until at least 1 year
old and at least 20 pounds should be in rear facing
car seats.
Kids over 1 year old and between
20-40 pounds can be in forward facing car seats
Kids between 40 and about 60/80
pounds (usually 4 to 8 years old) should be in booster
seats.
Kids over 80 pounds and 8 years
old can fit correctly in lap/shoulder belts.
A Few Safety Tips
- Always
install your car seat according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
- Never
use a car seat that has been in a crash
- Put
your child in a car seat every time you travel
- even on short trips.
- Cover
car seat that will be in the sun to avoid burns.
- Never
use a household baby carrier in place of a child
restraint seat.
- DO
NOT HOLD A CHILD IN YOUR LAP WHILE TRAVELING.
- In
an emergency, any kind of restraint is better
than no restraint
- Complete
and return your new car seat registration card
so the manufacturer can contact you in case
of a safety recall.
- Set
a good example - wear your seat belt!
- THE
SAFEST PLACE FOR A CHILD RESTRAINT IS IN THE
BACK SEAT.
Common Mistakes
Regarding Car Seats
Kids & Air Bags
Air bags are standard equipment in most new cars.
Combined with lap/shoulder safety belts, they
have a good safety record and saved over 1800
lives nationwide by the end of 1996.
However, an air bag is not a soft, billowy pillow.
To do its important job, an air bag comes out
of the dash board at up to 200 miles per hour
- faster than the blink of an eye. Therefore,
infants in rear-facing restraints and unbelted
children in the front seat are at risk of serious
injury.
This risk can be eliminated. Put children in the
back seat and use appropriate restraints for the
size of the child.
4
out of 5 cars are used wrong. Could yours be one
of them? Free Safety Seat Check-Ups are held monthly
at the Kalispell Fire and Ambulance Department.
Make sure your car seat is installed correctly
by participating in one of the free car seat clinics.
Contact Wendy Olson 751-4502, or Lynette Van Aken
at 751-8106 today.
More children in the US are killed and crippled
in car crashes than from any other cause of injury.
When used correctly, car seats provide excellent
protection in most crashes. Car seats keep children
from being alarmed into the windshield or dashboard,
thrown against other people or thrown out of the
car. They also keep children in their places so
the driver can pay attention to the road.
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