Saturday Event Shows Parents How To Keep Kids Safe In Cars
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of children under the age of 14.
And on an average day in the United States, seven children age 14 and under are killed and 866 more are injured in crashes.
One of the simplest ways to avoid injuries and death in children is by using car safety seats, and using them properly.
Experts estimate that 80 to 90 percent of child safety seats are misused, and misused car seats lead to injuries and sometimes death.
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Petro's GM Showplace, the Kosciusko Community Safe Kids Coalition, in conjunction with the Allen County Safe Kids, will hold a child's car safety seat inspection so area parents can find out if their car safety seats are installed and used correctly. Balloons, refreshments and literature on child safety will be available. No appointment is necessary.
Certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and show parents how to make sure the seats are fastened in their vehicles properly. Any seats deemed unsafe will be replaced on the spot. Participants whose car seats are replaced are asked to give a suggested donation of $25, which is less than half the price for an average seat.
"We want to help people learn how to put the seats in properly," said Lance Grubbs, a certified child passenger safety technician. "We actually give the adult the opportunity to put the seat in their car properly."
Three to four technicians will be present to teach proper safety seat installation. The technicians will also make sure the seats being used are the right size for the children in them.
"We want to help people keep their children safe when they ride in the car," said Dawn Armey, community health worker and certified technician. "Making sure the right seat is being used appropriately is important to making sure the child is safe."
But how does a person know if the seat is installed properly?
Once fastened in the vehicle, the seat should not move more than one inch from side to side. To ensure the tightest fit, the safety seat should be pressed into the vehicle seat with an adult's full weight. Once the safety seat is secured, the angle of the seat should be checked to make sure the child will be in the proper position as well. Rear-facing seats should be at a 45-degree angle, while forward-facing seats should be upright. Safety seats, especially rear-facing ones, should never be placed in front of an air bag.
Making sure the safety seat fits the child also is important. The harness straps should fit snugly across the child's chest. An adult should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the straps and the child. Also, the harness chest clip should be fastened and in the correct position, parallel with the child's underarms.
The seats that are replaced Saturday will be dismantled and disposed of. They will not be reused.
Anyone interested in attending the event Saturday is encouraged to take the owners manuals to both the car safety seat and the vehicle it will be used in. Most importantly, the children using the seats must be present to ensure they are fitted properly in the car seat.
The safety checks take between 30 and 45 minutes per car, and everyone who participates will be taught how to check the fit of the seats in the future.
"It is important to check the seats periodically to make sure the fit is still tight," said Armey. "With use, the tethers or seat belts can become loose, so it is important to check everything periodically."
Seats that are cracked or have harnesses that are worn, frayed or stretched should not be used. Also, people are encouraged not to buys seats at garage sales or re-sale shops.
"If you don't know the history of a seat, you should not use it," said Armey. "You do not know if the seat has been in a crash. You don't have a manual. It is best not to buy a used car safety seat."
Seats that have been recalled, are more than 10 years old, are missing parts or don't have a label with the name and manufacturing date should not be used.
A seat that has been in a minor crash may be reused. For a seat to be reused after a minor crash, the car must be able to be driven from the crash scene, the door closest to the safety seat must not be damaged, there were no injuries to any passengers in the crash, air bags did not deploy and there must be no visible damage to the safety seat itself. Common sense should be used to decide if a seat should be replaced.
This event also comes in time to help educate people about revisions to Indiana's Passenger Law that take effect July 1, 2005.
"The new Indiana law is one of the most comprehensive child safety laws in the nation," said Grubbs.
The new law sets stricter requirements for child restraint in vehicles. The law requires child restraints to be used until the child is 8 years old. After age 8, children are required to use a seat belt or child restraint system no matter where they are seated in a car.
Anyone who has questions or is unable to make it to the event Saturday but would like to have their safety seats checked should contact the one of the two permanent fitting stations at Kosciusko County Health Department (574-267-7028) or Multi-Township EMS (574-269-6166). [[In-content Ad]]
Automobile crashes are the No. 1 killer of children under the age of 14.
And on an average day in the United States, seven children age 14 and under are killed and 866 more are injured in crashes.
One of the simplest ways to avoid injuries and death in children is by using car safety seats, and using them properly.
Experts estimate that 80 to 90 percent of child safety seats are misused, and misused car seats lead to injuries and sometimes death.
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Petro's GM Showplace, the Kosciusko Community Safe Kids Coalition, in conjunction with the Allen County Safe Kids, will hold a child's car safety seat inspection so area parents can find out if their car safety seats are installed and used correctly. Balloons, refreshments and literature on child safety will be available. No appointment is necessary.
Certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and show parents how to make sure the seats are fastened in their vehicles properly. Any seats deemed unsafe will be replaced on the spot. Participants whose car seats are replaced are asked to give a suggested donation of $25, which is less than half the price for an average seat.
"We want to help people learn how to put the seats in properly," said Lance Grubbs, a certified child passenger safety technician. "We actually give the adult the opportunity to put the seat in their car properly."
Three to four technicians will be present to teach proper safety seat installation. The technicians will also make sure the seats being used are the right size for the children in them.
"We want to help people keep their children safe when they ride in the car," said Dawn Armey, community health worker and certified technician. "Making sure the right seat is being used appropriately is important to making sure the child is safe."
But how does a person know if the seat is installed properly?
Once fastened in the vehicle, the seat should not move more than one inch from side to side. To ensure the tightest fit, the safety seat should be pressed into the vehicle seat with an adult's full weight. Once the safety seat is secured, the angle of the seat should be checked to make sure the child will be in the proper position as well. Rear-facing seats should be at a 45-degree angle, while forward-facing seats should be upright. Safety seats, especially rear-facing ones, should never be placed in front of an air bag.
Making sure the safety seat fits the child also is important. The harness straps should fit snugly across the child's chest. An adult should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the straps and the child. Also, the harness chest clip should be fastened and in the correct position, parallel with the child's underarms.
The seats that are replaced Saturday will be dismantled and disposed of. They will not be reused.
Anyone interested in attending the event Saturday is encouraged to take the owners manuals to both the car safety seat and the vehicle it will be used in. Most importantly, the children using the seats must be present to ensure they are fitted properly in the car seat.
The safety checks take between 30 and 45 minutes per car, and everyone who participates will be taught how to check the fit of the seats in the future.
"It is important to check the seats periodically to make sure the fit is still tight," said Armey. "With use, the tethers or seat belts can become loose, so it is important to check everything periodically."
Seats that are cracked or have harnesses that are worn, frayed or stretched should not be used. Also, people are encouraged not to buys seats at garage sales or re-sale shops.
"If you don't know the history of a seat, you should not use it," said Armey. "You do not know if the seat has been in a crash. You don't have a manual. It is best not to buy a used car safety seat."
Seats that have been recalled, are more than 10 years old, are missing parts or don't have a label with the name and manufacturing date should not be used.
A seat that has been in a minor crash may be reused. For a seat to be reused after a minor crash, the car must be able to be driven from the crash scene, the door closest to the safety seat must not be damaged, there were no injuries to any passengers in the crash, air bags did not deploy and there must be no visible damage to the safety seat itself. Common sense should be used to decide if a seat should be replaced.
This event also comes in time to help educate people about revisions to Indiana's Passenger Law that take effect July 1, 2005.
"The new Indiana law is one of the most comprehensive child safety laws in the nation," said Grubbs.
The new law sets stricter requirements for child restraint in vehicles. The law requires child restraints to be used until the child is 8 years old. After age 8, children are required to use a seat belt or child restraint system no matter where they are seated in a car.
Anyone who has questions or is unable to make it to the event Saturday but would like to have their safety seats checked should contact the one of the two permanent fitting stations at Kosciusko County Health Department (574-267-7028) or Multi-Township EMS (574-269-6166). [[In-content Ad]]