Child safety restraints such as car seats are a tricky thing. In fact, nearly 70 percent of all child safety restraints are used incorrectly.
National Child Passenger Safety Week starts this coming Sunday, so it’s a good time to remember that, when it comes to car seats and other child safety restraints, “good enough” isn’t good enough.
Agencies such as the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety will be spreading the word about the importance of buckling children in an appropriate child restraint. Motorists also can expect increased enforcement of Missouri’s child seat safety laws during this campaign, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release.
Part of the confusion is that you have to factor in not just your child’s age, but his or her weight and height as well.
In 2017, 12 children younger than 8 years old were killed and 43 suffered injuries as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in Missouri. Thirty-one percent of the children killed were not restrained in a car seat or safety belt.
Missouri law requires all children under 8 to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat, unless:
• They are at least 80 pounds.
• They are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Missouri law requires just one of these criteria to be met, but safety organizations urge parents to meet both.
If you’d like to double-check to see if you have installed your car seat correctly, go to the child seat check from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 29 at Fire Station 3, 302 Rock Hill Road. No reservations are required.
Safety belts that aren’t properly fitted can cause serious injury in crashes, especially for kids ages 4-7 who are secured only in a regular safety belt. These injuries are commonly known as “seat belt syndrome,” and they are often life-threatening or disabling injuries, MoDOT said. Booster seats help prevent this syndrome from occurring, by raising the child up so the lap and shoulder belt fits them properly.
If you’re a driver, buckle up.
And if you have a child, please make sure to use the correct safety restraint and have it installed correctly. It’s the best way to protect you and your loved ones during a vehicle accident.
News Tribune