Child Passenger Safety Week Feb. 9-15 -
Protect children with proper car seat use
By Danielle Strenke
In our homes, we put covers on outlets and keep medicines and cleaners locked up on the highest shelves. Yet when we get into our vehicles, many people are not as careful to take the steps to ensure the safety of children. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is recognizing the need for greater public awareness of the importance of proper child seat and seat belt usage during Child Passenger Safety Week, Feb. 9-15. At statewide safety clinics, 65 percent of child safety seats were found being used incorrectly. A 2001 survey found only 30 percent of children ages 4 to 8 were using booster seats. General guidelines for properly restraining children start with a rear-facing infant seat for children up to at least one-year and 20 pounds. Children ages 1 to 4 should ride in a forward-facing convertible or child-only seat, and children up to 8 years and 80 pounds should ride in a booster seat. Even when children are over 8 years old, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and other safety organizations say the place for children to ride until they are over 12 years is the back seat. ìChildren need to grow into the proper safety restraint, and that restraint has to be used correctly,î Child Passenger Safety Administrator Patti Klicka said. In 2001, nearly 1,700 children in Minnesota were injured in traffic crashes. Research shows safety seats reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Lakes Region EMS Paramedic John Fox said he has seen accidents where child safety seats saved childrenís lives. ìWe had one crash involving four children under four, including an infant. The infant was unharmed and the other three were OK because the child seats worked wonderfully,î he said. Fox said fortunately he has not seen very many instances of people not using child seats for younger children. ìI see kids 8 or 9 years old in the front seat though,î he said. The state discontinued a program for public safety personnel such as paramedics to report license numbers of drivers using improper restraints for children riding in the car. ìThose people would be mailed a card explaining the proper guidelines ñ it was a great program,î Fox said. He added that new Lakes Region EMS ambulances are equipped with an integrated child seat in the captainís chair in the rear of the ambulances, similar to those in most mini-vans. Child seats can also be strapped onto ambulance cots safely, Fox said. Even when parents and guardians use the correct child seat, there are common mistakes made by many of them. Once installed, child seats should not move more than an inch side to side or front to back. If they do, the seat belt should be tightened. Another mistake made is not using the locking clip properly on booster seats. Once the toddler is fastened into the seat, the clip should be fastened securely onto both straps and placed level with the armpits of the toddler to prevent the child from slipping out of the restraints during a crash. Child seats that are older than 1996 and any involved in a car accident should no longer be used. To improve the safety and decrease improper buckling of child seats, both vehicles and child seats manufactured after Sept. 1, 2002 being equipped with a ëlower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) system. The LATCH system provides built-in hooks on vehicles where new child seats can be attached, eliminating the need for using the vehicleís seat best with child seats. In Minnesota, children under four must ride in a child seat in the back seat. The fine for violating the law is $50. Seat belts are required for all front-seat occupants and passengers between 3 and 11 years old. The fine for violation of the state seat belt law is $25. If you are shopping for a child safety seats, Consumer Reports rated some of the most popular models of infant, convertible and toddler/booster seats. The seats are rated on performance in crash tests as well as ease of use and how well it fits into a car. For current ratings, check the Consumer Reports Web Site, consumerreports.org. Before purchasing a new seat, check recall lists for safety seats at SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.ís site, www.carseat.org or the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, www.nhtsa.dot.gov. In 2001, 387 children newborn through 14 years were injured ñ some fatally ñ in Minnesota because they were riding unrestrained in a vehicle. Remember to show your child the right example when riding in a vehicle ñ always buckle up after securing children in the proper child seat.
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