INDIANAPOLIS
– Franciscan St. Francis Health is encouraging parents and caregivers to have
children’s safety seats inspected based on recommendations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That’s
why the hospital is offering free inspections with certified technicians on
hand to advise on the proper use of seats for youngsters. The first event is 11
a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the parking lot of Franciscan St. Francis
Weight Loss Center (5230-A E. Stop 11 Road).
The
event coincides with National Child Passenger Safety Week. If unable to visit
the inspection sites, adults can arrange for free inspections by calling
317-528-5774.
“We
want to help adults do their best to protect children,” said Sharilyn Wagner, RN,
with Franciscan St. Francis’ car seat safety program. “It’s said that
three-in-four child seats are not placed correctly. In the end, when it comes
to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes.”
The
hospital is partnering on the project with the Automotive Safety Program at the
Indiana University School of Medicine (1-800-KID-N-CAR).
In
motor vehicle crashes, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent
for children younger than 1 and by 54 percent for children 1 to 4 in passenger
cars, according to data collected by NHTSA. In 2009 alone, 754 children, 12 or
younger, were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes while riding in passenger
cars or light trucks.
And
among those who were fatally injured, where restraint use
was known, 42 percent were unrestrained. Many of these tragedies could have
been prevented if the children were in the right restraint for their age and
size.
The updated recommendations emphasize how
important it is to keep children in each restraint type for as long as possible
before moving them to the next type. For maximum child passenger safety,
parents and caregivers should visit their local inspection station to ensure
their children’s car seats are used properly. A list of child safety seat
inspection stations can be found at www.preventinjury.org or by calling 1-800-KID-N-CAR.
Here’s what the NHTSA recommends:
Birth – 12 months: Your child under age 1 should
always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing
car seats: infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and
3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the
rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer
period of time.
1 – 3 years: Your
child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top
height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child
outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a
forward-facing car seat with a harness.
4 – 7 years: Keep your
child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the
top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your
child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel
in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.
8 – 12 years: Keep your child in a
booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For
a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper
thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the
shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.
Wagner
further recommends that:
- Select a car
seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in
your vehicle and use it every time.
- Always refer to
your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle
owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH
system; and check height and weight limits.
- To maximize
safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long
as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight
requirements.
- Keep your child in the back seat
at least through age 12.
For
more information on Child Passenger Safety Week or to find your local car seat
event, visit www.childseat.in.gov.
