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Community Education Unit Information
Fire Department Information
City of Madison Home Page
|
Most parents believe they buckle
their kids in correctly, but surprisingly, most times they’re wrong.
With so many types of child safety seats and seat belt systems, it’s
hard to be sure child safety seats are in right.
One common mistake is that parents often believe that once their children
outgrow their forward-facing child safety seats, an adult seat belt is good
enough. A child who cannot sit with
his or her back straight against the vehicle seat back cushion, with knees bent
over a vehicle’s seat edge without slouching, must use a booster seat. The reality is that all children
between about 40 to 80 pounds and less than 4’ 9” tall should be in a
booster seat. Adult seat belts can
be dangerous when used alone if the child is too small. The shoulder belt cuts across
their necks and the lap belt rides up into their soft bellies. In a crash, this can cause serous or even fatal injuries.
And many child passenger safety laws ignore children this age and size,
giving parents a false sense of security. For these children, booster seats
are critical. Child safety
seats-including boosters-are very effective in protecting children in crashes.
A booster seat positions the adult-designed seat belt correctly and
safely-and offers children greater comfort and visibility. All children age 12 and under
should sit properly restrained in the back seat.
So when your kids outgrow forward-facing child safety seats, boost ‘em
before you buckle ‘em. And be
sure to have your child safety seats inspected by a certified technician in your
area. To learn more about booster seats
contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1-888-327-4236) or
the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (1-800-441-1888).
Or click on www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps
or www.safekids.org.
Both groups can provide information on child passenger safety or locate a
trained and certified child passenger seat technician near you. Nan Peterson Coordinator, Madison Area SAFE
KIDS Coalition ** Please call 890-8999 to sign up for a car seat appointment.** |
