Child Passenger Safety Week

September 19, 2010

Cypress Creek EMS is a certified inspection station that provides this service every Wednesday. Call for an appointment at 281.378.0800

Would Your Child’s Car Seat Pass Inspection? 

Securing your children properly in age- and size-appropriate child safety seats — in the back seat of your vehicle — is the most effective thing you can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers. 

Among child passengers under age 5, child restraints saved the lives of an estimated 244 children in 2008 alone. From 1975 through 2008, restraints (child safety seats or adult seat belts) are credited with saving the lives of 8,959 children.

Because child safety seats do save lives, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require their use. Even so, motor vehicle traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for children age 3 and older.

The good news is that a majority of parents buckle up their children in child safety seats, booster seats, or seat belts. However, according to the U.S Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 3 out of 4 child safety seats are not used properly, which is a grave risk when traveling.

That’s where NHTSA’s Child Passenger Safety Week can help. This annual campaign focuses on increasing awareness of these issues, and provides parents and caregivers with resources and information to better protect children from motor vehicle crash risks.

  For a child safety seat to do its job right, it has to be:

•          Appropriate for your child’s age and size;

•          Installed properly in your vehicle; and

•          Adjusted to fit your child securely.

If you’re a parent or caregiver, don’t miss the many free Child Passenger Safety Week educational events being held at locations nationwide this September 19 to 25. The week’s activities wind up on the 25th with its signature event: National Seat Check Saturday. On this single day every year, parents have the chance to visit a free local inspection site to have a certified child passenger safety technician inspect their child’s safety seat — and provide hands-on advice and instruction. 

Even if you’ve had your child’s seat inspected before, it never hurts to have a refresher. So don’t miss out on inspections. Or take advantage of free, by-appointment local seat checks available year round. You can find free inspection sites online at www.nhtsa.gov or by phone through the toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Remember: All child passengers under age 13 should ride securely restrained in the back seat, where they are safest — every trip, every time. To learn more about child passenger safety and 2010 Child Passenger Safety Week events, visit www.nhtsa.gov.