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. 16 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, Sept. 14-20. 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.
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.
