|
| |
- What is the Child Passenger Safety Program?
- What is the car seat law in Arizona?
- Who can help me install my car seat properly?
- Car seat safety - types of car
seats and tips for use
Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading
killer of children in this country. Unintentional injuries (like car
crashes) kill more children than ALL childhood diseases combined! Each
year, approximately 1,800 children ages 14 years and under die in automobile
crashes and more than 280,000 are injured! Shockingly, approximately 40%
of children ride unrestrained in automobiles, and of the children who are
buckled up, 85% are restrained incorrectly. Through community car seat
checks in Mohave County, we found that approximately 99% of car seats are used
improperly. Car seats and safety belts, when used properly, reduce death
rates by 70% and reduce disabling injuries by 65% - 70% among children 14 years
and under in the event of a crash.
The goal of this program is to reduce
the number of injuries and deaths of our children due to motor vehicle crashes
in our county, to help you choose the correct car seats for your children and to
help you avoid common misuses. By working together, we CAN save children's
lives!
The law in Arizona states that a child under 5 years of
age must be properly secure in a child restraint device that meets federal
standards.
Safest Practice:
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
recommends that all children up to 80 pounds AND under 4'9" ride in a car seat.
Until a child reaches this weight and height, he or she will NOT fit properly in
an adult shoulder/lap belt.
Be a good example for your children, you are also required
by law to wear a seat belt. Studies have shown that most parents who do
not regularly wear a seatbelt also allow their children to ride without any type
of restraint.
In order for the seat belt to be properly placed on your
body, the shoulder part should go across your body at the shoulder and the lap
portion of the belt should be placed over your hip bones - not your stomach.
Pregnant women must also wear a seat belt, shoulder/lap
belt preferred, every time they ride in a vehicle.
Click
HERE to view
the Arizona law.
Only a NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration) certified child passenger safety technician is qualified to help
you install your car seat. Your local technician can ensure your child's
car seat is properly installed, ensure that you have a safe car seat by checking
a recall list, help you find a safe car seat if you cannot afford to buy one,
and teach you how to properly install your child's seat.
Click
HERE
to view a copy of the most updated child safety seat recall list.
Click here for a list of
Local Certified NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Technicians in Mohave County.
Let's Look at the Different Types of Car Seats
TYPE 1: Infant Seat
 |
Typically fits from birth to 20 pounds
Be sure to read the manufacturers instructions on your specific seat because
weight limits may vary.
|
| Must be used facing the rear of the car ONLY
Facing rear distributes the force in a crash or sudden stop on the baby's
back, which is their largest surface area, instead of on their neck.
|
| Baby rides at a semi-reclined position
At a 45 degree angle - sometimes a rolled up blanket or newspaper beneath
the base near the crack of the seat can help to achieve this angle.
If the baby is sitting too upright, their head can fall forward which
obstructs breathing.
|
| When in the car, the handle of the infant seat must always be down!
If the handle is left up, it will take some of the force in a crash which
it is not made for. The handle can crack and hurt the baby.
|
| Baby's head needs to be at least one inch from the top. If it is
not, the baby has outgrown the specific seat.
|
|
|
TYPE 2: Convertible Seat
| Typically fits from birth
|
| A 5-point harness, as seen in the picture, is the
safest king of harness.
|
| Faces the rear of the car until baby is 20 - 30
pounds. Because baby's neck muscles take time to fully develop, it
is recommended that a child stay rear facing in the car until 1 year AND
20 pounds. This will prevent spinal cord injuries.
Again, make sure you read your manufacturers instructions because rear
facing weight limits vary.
While rear facing, the seat needs to be at the 45 degree angle.
The harness can be thread through either of the two lower slots.
The top of the harness needs to be at or below baby's shoulders.
|
| Faces forward in the car until baby is 40 pounds
The harness is only crash tested up to 40 pounds. It is NOT
recommended to keep your child in this seat if he or she exceeds 40
pounds.
The harness needs to be thread through the top slots only.
The bottom two sets of slots are not reinforced and in a crash while the
seat is forward facing, the seat could crack and baby could be seriously
injured.
The seat, while forward facing, needs to be in the upright position - as
opposed to the 45 degree angle when rear facing.
|
|
|
TYPE 3: Combination Seat
| The combination seat converts from a forward-facing
toddler seat, equipped with a five point harness, to a high back booster
seat. When your child outgrows the toddler seat, remove the harness
to use the seat as a booster seat with the vehicle's lap/shoulder belt.
|
| The combination seat is used forward facing with
the five point harness system when your child is at least one year old and
weighs between 20 to 40 pounds.
As with the forward facing convertible seat, the harness straps need to be
thread through the top slots only. The bottom two sets of slots are
not reinforced and in a crash while the seat is forward facing, the seat
could crack and baby could be seriously injured.
When using the harness, the seats are attached using the vehicle seat belt
system and a top tether anchor, if the vehicle has one, or attached with
the LATCH system (for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).
Once your child outgrows the toddler seat and weighs between 40 and 80
pounds, remove the harness straps and use the vehicle's lap/shoulder belt
over the front of the child's body.
Make sure to read your manufacturers instructions as weight limits many
vary.
|
|
|
TYPE 4: Booster Seat
| The low back booster seat, as seen in the top
right, is for children 40 pounds to 80 pounds and is only for vehicles
with a built in head restraint.
Again, make sure to read your manufacturers instructions because weight
limits will vary.
The purpose of this seat is to "boost" the child up so that the
shoulder/lap belt will fit properly - over the shoulder and hip bones.
|
| The shield booster, as seen in the lower right, is
NOT safe when used on a child 40 pounds or over with the shield. The
shield is meant to be used for children 30 pounds to 40 pounds.
Remember, a five point harness is safer for children in this weight range.
It is okay to use this seat if you remove the shield and use the bottom as
you would a low back booster with a shoulder lap belt starting when your
child is 40 pounds. |
|
 |
Tips for Proper Installation
| First and most importantly, ALWAYS read your car seat
manufacturers instructions and your vehicle owners manual. |
| Make sure you have a tight fit, the car seat should NOT
move more than one inch from side to side. |
| The back middle seat is the safest place in a car.
It is away from all sites of impact during a crash. |
| NEVER put a rear facing child in front of an airbag.
Passenger side airbags deploy at 240 miles per hour - it will crack the car
seat and crush your baby's skull. |
| Realize that most car seats are improperly installed.
We cannot tell you how to install your car seat without looking at your car
and your specific seat belt system. To be sure your car seat is
installed properly you must get in checked out by a NHTSA certified child
passenger safety technician. |
Some Common Misuses
| ALWAYS read the manufacturers instructions and your
vehicle owners manual |
| Make sure the harness is snug on baby - only one adult
finger should fit between the harness and the baby. |
| Do not use blankets or heavy clothing underneath the
harness - it will compromise the tight fit of the harness and compress during
a crash which will cause more severe injuries to the child. |
| Make sure the harness clip is at armpit level |
| When you buy your car seat, make sure you send in the
registration - this is how you get notified of recalls. |
Click
HERE
to view a copy of the most updated child safety seat recall list.
| Do not use a seat that is more than 10 years old. |
| Car seats must be replaced if you get into a crash.
During a crash, the plastic of the car seat takes all the force. The
seat is only made to take one crash - if you continue to use it and get into
another crash, the seat might fall apart and your child could be seriously
injured. |
| If you have a used car seat:
- it must be less than 10 years old
- it must never have been involved in a crash
- it must show no signs of cracking, twisting, or loose hardware
- it must have ALL parts and pieces, including manufacturers instructions
- it must meet label requirements
- you must check to see if it is on recall
- if you cannot meet all of these criteria, don't use the seat and chance
your child's life. |
| Don't use aftermarket products. These products
are NOT crash tested with your seat and could compromise the integrity of your
car seat and potentially cause harm to your child. |
| Always use a car seat EVERY time you ride. Even
if you are taking a short trip - fact is, three-quarters of fatalities occur
within 25 miles of home and more than half of the crashes involving death or
injury are at 40 miles per hour or less. Also, consistent use of a car
seat is vital to avoid struggles over whether or not your child will sit in
the car seat. |
Quick Reference:
For a list of NHTSA certified child passenger safety technicians in Kingman,
Bullhead City, and Lake Havasu City, - please click HERE.
|
Proper Child Safety Seat Use Chart
Buckle Everyone. Children Age 12 and
Under in Back! |
|
|
INFANTS |
TODDLER |
YOUNG CHILDREN |
|
WEIGHT |
Birth to 1 year
up to 20-22 lbs. |
Over 1 year and
Over 20 lbs.-40 lbs. |
Over 40 lbs. up to 80 lbs. |
|
TYPE of SEAT |
Infant only or rear-facing
convertible |
Convertible / Forward-facing or
Combination Seats |
Combination Booster Seat or Low
Back Booster |
|
SEAT POSITION |
Rear-facing only |
Forward-facing |
Forward-facing |
|
ALWAYS MAKE SURE: |
Children to one year and at
least 20 lbs. in rear-facing seats
Harness straps at or below shoulder level |
Harness straps should be at or
above shoulders
Most seats require top slot for forward-facing |
Belt positioning booster seats
must be used with both lap and shoulder belt.
Make sure the lap belt fits low and tight across the lap/upper thigh area
and the shoulder belt fits snug crossing the chest and shoulder to avoid
abdominal injuries |
|
WARNING |
All children age 12 and under
should ride in the back seat |
All children age 12 and under
should ride in the back seat |
All children age 12 and under
should ride in the back seat |
For further information on car seat safety, check these websites:
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
National Safe Kids Campaign
SafetyBelt Safe
If you have questions or comments, please e-mail one of our NHTSA certified
child passenger safety technicians. We'll be glad to answer any of your
questions.
Please contact:
edith.fricke@co.mohave.az.us
Funded by a grant from the Arizona Department of Health
Services
|
