Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages 1-12 years old (safercar.gov). Many of these deaths and injuries can be prevented, simply by restraining your child in the proper car seat or booster.
Car seats have come a long way since they were first used. Years ago, a car seat was used to raise the child up in the car, or keep them contained. Traveling here and there, you would hold the baby/child on your lap.
Now it's the law. According to Utah law, children under the age of 8 must be restrained in a proper car seat or booster seat. The only exception is if the child is at least 57 inches tall.
September 18-24, 2016 is Child Passenger Safety Week, and Saturday September 24, 2016 is National Seat Check. This is a good time to check to be sure that your child is in the proper seat.
How do you know which car seat or booster is right for you child? Generally speaking a child should be in a rear facing car seat until 2 years of age, a front facing car seat between the ages of 2-5, a booster seat 5 and up, and a seat belt if they have reached 57 inches. A great link to really determine the best car seat for your child is found here.
Now that you have the right car seat, how do you know if you have installed it correctly? Your first resource is the car seat's user manual. It will tell you the most efficient and safe way to install the car seat. There are also a number of places you can go and have a Nationally Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician install the car seat for you. For locations in Utah, please click here.
Finally, once you have the proper car seat, installed properly, don't forget to register the car seat for recalls. You've gone to great lengths to keeping your child(ren) safe, stay informed on what recalls have been issued so you can continue being safe on the road with your family.
No comments:
Post a Comment