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According to Safe Kids Worldwide Nearly 73% of Car Seats Are Installed Incorrectly
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2/18/2016 LICKING COUNTY, OHIO – Car crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for children in the United States. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that every day in the U.S. at least three children between the ages of 1 – 14 die, and another 468 are injured in motor vehicle crashes. Many of these injuries and deaths can be prevented by taking a few safety measures every time a child rides in a motor vehicle. Using the right car safety restraint for a child can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.
In response to this ongoing public health problem, the Licking County Health Department is working to ensure parents understand how common and serious these injuries to children are and what they can do to prevent motor vehicle-related injuries from happening to their family. LCHD is committed to educating the public about safety concerns, such as child passenger safety.
“According to Safe Kids World Wide, 96 percent of parents think their child’s car seat is installed correctly, however, nearly 73 percent are not installed or used correctly,” said Ashley See, Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) at the Licking County Health Department. “Some of the most common errors are the seat is not installed tightly enough, the shoulder straps are not in the right place, the harness is too loose, and moving the child to the next position in the safety seat too soon.”
To help Parents ensure their child seats are installed correctly, Safe Kids Worldwide and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are encouraging everyone to take 15 minutes to conduct an at-home checkup using the following Safe Kids Checklist:
- Right Seat. Check the label on your car seat to make sure it is appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height.
- Right Place. Kids are VIPs, just ask them. We know all VIPs ride in the back seat, so keep all children in the back seat until they are 13. Doing this, along with correctly using the appropriate child restraints, greatly reduces the risk of injury.
- Right Direction. You want to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible. When he or she outgrows the seat, move your child to a forward-facing car seat. Make sure to attach the top tether after you tighten and lock the seat belt or lower anchors. You want to keep your child in a forward-facing seat as long as the seat will allow.
- Inch Test. Once your car seat is installed, give it a good shake at the base. Can you move it more than an inch side to side? A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
- Pinch Test. Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and coming from the correct slots (check manual). Now, with the chest clip placed at armpit level (on the child’s chest), pinch the strap at your child’s shoulder. If you are unable to pinch any excess webbing, you’re good to go.
During winter months it is important your children stay warm, but we also want to make sure they are still safe while riding in a car seat. Please keep in mind, when a child is placed in a car seat their bulky winter coat or snow suit should be removed. This will ensure a tight harness strap fit. Leaving a child’s coat on while riding in the car seat can leave slack in the harness straps during a crash possibly causing serious injury or death. A light jacket or fleece is ok, but nothing too bulky. It is recommended covering the child up with a blanket or their coat once they have been buckled in the vehicle.
Parents are encouraged to read the vehicle and car seat instruction manuals in addition to following the checklist. For more tips or to have your car seat checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, please call the Licking County Health Department at 740-349-6535. You can also locate a car seat fitting station near you at http://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm.
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