Thursday, July 21, 2011

Child Passenger Safety

7 out of 10 kids in safety seats are NOT buckled in properly!
Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of kids!


In 2009, there were nearly 62 million children age 14 and younger in the U.S., 20% of the total resident population. To help keep them safe on the highways, NHTSA advises that children 12 and younger should always sit in rear seats, and that parents should always read child restraint instructions and the vehicle owner manual instructions. 

Parents and caregivers are urged to have their children’s car seats checked on National Seat Check Saturday, September 24. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 18-24), certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to inspect car seats and provide hands-on advice free of charge.  

Visit SeatCheck.org for a place near you! You don't need to wait for September. Call today!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Driving the Development of Safer Cars

Auto safety has evolved from basic seatbelts and lighting to high-tech safety features that can help drivers avoid accidents altogether. Thanks to continuing innovation, today's vehicles are the safest in history and have contributed to year-over-year decreases in crash-related fatalities and injuries nationwide.

Starting with 2011 models, National Highway Traffic Safety Association has introduced tougher tests and rigorous new 5-Star Safety Ratings that provide more information about vehicle safety and crash avoidance technologies. Because of the more stringent tests, ratings for 2011 and newer vehicles should not be compared to ratings for 1990-2010 models.  Overall vehicle score and frontal crash ratings should ONLY be compared to other vehicles of similar size and weight.


It's simple: More Stars equal Safer Cars. 5-Star Safety Ratings measure the crash worthiness and rollover safety of vehicles. Five stars is the highest rating, one is the lowest. Learn more on SafeCar.gov.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

It's not about age, it's weight.


One of the most important jobs we have as a parent is keeping our child safe when riding in a vehicle.

With my oldest going in to 1st grade and my youngest going in to her last year of preschool (pre-K) it really has me thinking about safety and boosters and when's the right age. But it's really not about age, it's more about height and making sure the safety belt fits properly. I have to keep reminding myself of that simple fact. 

The more I pick up their friends and take them with us the more I realize how lax people get as their children get older and reach school age. I find my son actually crying to me that he doesn't want to use his booster with a back because his friends don't have to use one. Asking me "Why do I have to?" telling me "I feel like a baby" in it.  I have to admit, he may not need the back at this point, but what have I got to loose right. It has that little bit more of side impact protection and gives him a place to rest his head on longer trips.  So he's asked me to take the back off when we're staying around town, but don't most accidents happen within a 5 mile radius of your house?  So I am holding strong on this one and he's using the back. But I have run in to instances when his friends parents, even my own sister have let their 6 or 7 year old sit without any booster.  The general guidelines are 4'9" and/or at least age 8.  The laws vary by state and you can check them out here. They'll even tell you what the fine is on this site.  But most pediatricians will tell you 4'9".  I had an 8 year old ask me if she needed to use a booster in my car the other day and I pulled out the tape measure and said let's see....  nope. She wasn't close to the proper height. She seemed ok with it once she knew why. I think educating our kids and ourselves and not letting us get lazy with car seat use just because our kids are growing up is very important.  A simple backless booster isn't difficult to install or use.  If you need help or more information check out the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration website.  Or if you need a place to check how to properly install yours check out SeatCheck.org.