Local Safe Kids Group Establishes Permanent Car Seat Fitting Station
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
California was the only state to receive a perfect score.
Indiana and 23 other states flunked.
Flunked for inadequate laws to protect children riding in vehicles; for allowing children to ride completely unrestrained in the back seats of cars; and for allowing children to ride in nothing more than a seat belt designed for an adult.
"We don't do enough enforcement," said Darlene Eherenman, Kosciusko County Safe Kids Chapter Coordinator, on why Indiana scored so badly. "We don't do enough awareness."
The study, in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia were rated on how well their laws protect children who are riding in vehicles, was conducted by the National Safe Kids Campaign.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year in the United States about 1,800 children under age 14 die in motor vehicle crashes and more than 270,000 are injured.
Because Feb. 11-17 is National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week, it may be a good time for parents to learn more about how they can help prevent a child from dying in a motor vehicle crash.
One way is for parents to make sure their child is in his or her safety seat in a vehicle and that the safety seat is correctly installed and buckled.
Multi-Township EMS of Warsaw is promoting a child passenger safety public service geared to protect Hoosier children's lives on the roads.
MTEMS has established a permanent fitting station on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their location on Center Street. Parents and caregivers can call the Kosciusko County Safe Kids Chapter at 269-2831 to schedule an appointment to have their car seat installation checked.
Eherenman, who is also a nationally-certified child passenger safety technician instructor, will inspect car seats and instruct families on the proper way to secure the seats and children in their vehicles.
She said when a parent brings in a car seat to be inspected, she tries to help them understand how to correctly fasten their child in the seat, why it's important and other related items. She said they also will check to see if the seat meets crash-test criteria, if the seat was involved in a previous crash, how old the car seat is and "for recalls. That's part of the inspection."
If a car seat is more than six years old, the parent may want to replace it. "Most car seats being manufactured now have expiration dates on the back of them," Eherenman said.
Children under 4 years old must be in a child-restraint device while in a vehicle. "That is state law," Eherenman said. "They can be fined. They can get four points on their license."
She also said that while state law just requires a child under 4 years old to be in a restraint, it is recommended that children are safer in the devices until they weigh approximately 80 pounds.
"The reason for that is that seat belts are designed for adults over 80 pounds," she said.
On Oct. 1, the Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving awarded a three-year grant to the Automotive Safety Program for the expansion and maintenance of permanent fitting stations in Indiana. The grant's purpose is to reduce the percentage of child safety seat misuse in Indiana and to increase the overall percentage of children who are properly buckled either in a child safety seat, booster or seat belt.
With the project, a network of permanent fitting stations is being established, totaling at least 50 sites around Indiana.
Eherenman said, "I just want parents to know that the permanent fitting station is there." [[In-content Ad]]
California was the only state to receive a perfect score.
Indiana and 23 other states flunked.
Flunked for inadequate laws to protect children riding in vehicles; for allowing children to ride completely unrestrained in the back seats of cars; and for allowing children to ride in nothing more than a seat belt designed for an adult.
"We don't do enough enforcement," said Darlene Eherenman, Kosciusko County Safe Kids Chapter Coordinator, on why Indiana scored so badly. "We don't do enough awareness."
The study, in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia were rated on how well their laws protect children who are riding in vehicles, was conducted by the National Safe Kids Campaign.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year in the United States about 1,800 children under age 14 die in motor vehicle crashes and more than 270,000 are injured.
Because Feb. 11-17 is National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week, it may be a good time for parents to learn more about how they can help prevent a child from dying in a motor vehicle crash.
One way is for parents to make sure their child is in his or her safety seat in a vehicle and that the safety seat is correctly installed and buckled.
Multi-Township EMS of Warsaw is promoting a child passenger safety public service geared to protect Hoosier children's lives on the roads.
MTEMS has established a permanent fitting station on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their location on Center Street. Parents and caregivers can call the Kosciusko County Safe Kids Chapter at 269-2831 to schedule an appointment to have their car seat installation checked.
Eherenman, who is also a nationally-certified child passenger safety technician instructor, will inspect car seats and instruct families on the proper way to secure the seats and children in their vehicles.
She said when a parent brings in a car seat to be inspected, she tries to help them understand how to correctly fasten their child in the seat, why it's important and other related items. She said they also will check to see if the seat meets crash-test criteria, if the seat was involved in a previous crash, how old the car seat is and "for recalls. That's part of the inspection."
If a car seat is more than six years old, the parent may want to replace it. "Most car seats being manufactured now have expiration dates on the back of them," Eherenman said.
Children under 4 years old must be in a child-restraint device while in a vehicle. "That is state law," Eherenman said. "They can be fined. They can get four points on their license."
She also said that while state law just requires a child under 4 years old to be in a restraint, it is recommended that children are safer in the devices until they weigh approximately 80 pounds.
"The reason for that is that seat belts are designed for adults over 80 pounds," she said.
On Oct. 1, the Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving awarded a three-year grant to the Automotive Safety Program for the expansion and maintenance of permanent fitting stations in Indiana. The grant's purpose is to reduce the percentage of child safety seat misuse in Indiana and to increase the overall percentage of children who are properly buckled either in a child safety seat, booster or seat belt.
With the project, a network of permanent fitting stations is being established, totaling at least 50 sites around Indiana.
Eherenman said, "I just want parents to know that the permanent fitting station is there." [[In-content Ad]]