This week marks National Child Passenger Safety Week and, with
Valentine
’s Day on Saturday, there is no better time to give your little
loved ones a gift – the gift of safety while riding in the car.
This week marks National Child Passenger Safety Week and, with Valentine’s Day on Saturday, there is no better time to give your little loved ones a gift – the gift of safety while riding in the car.
California has led the nation with groundbreaking passenger safety laws and innovative educational campaigns. We have reduced fatalities and increased child seat usage, but there is much more work to be done.
The sad fact remains that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes continue to be the nation’s leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 14. To make matters worse, the NHTSA statistics indicate that 71 percent of these fatalities could have been prevented if the child was restrained properly. In California, our children remain at risk daily and too many have been hurt or killed unnecessarily because they were not properly fastened in a seat belt or car seat.
The statistics further indicate that 96 percent of parents believe their child safety seats are properly installed. However, what we see in the field is very different and demonstrates a huge misconception among parents about the true safety of their children. In our ongoing efforts to inspect and install car seats at local CHP offices, and at community safety fairs cosponsored by 21st Century Insurance, over 50 percent of seats inspected are either broken, defective or inappropriate for the age of the child. Moreover, even the “right” seats are installed incorrectly 80 percent of the time.
So what can you, as a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or caregiver do?
First, please keep in mind a few simple rules of thumb.
• Always make sure your children are buckled up or in an age appropriate child safety seat on every trip. No exceptions, no matter how short the trip is.
• California law requires a child safety seat be used until a child is either 6 years old or 60 pounds.
• As of 2005, all children required to be in child safety seats must ride in the back seat of the car. It is also recommended that any child under 12 be seated in the back seat, for their safety.
Second, be sure the seat is installed properly and in good standing. Each of the CHP’s 100 regional offices sets aside time to inspect and install child safety seats at least one day per week. Please check www.chp.ca.gov to find the office nearest you and make an appointment. In addition, many local fire stations, police departments and other public agencies have specially trained technicians to help as well.
Third, if you can’t afford a seat, find a local agency that offers safety seats at a reduced price or even provides free seats to those in need. 21st Century and the CHP are proud of our unique partnership promoting child seat safety. Launched in 2002, we have conducted car seat safety fairs across the state. At these fairs, we inspect, install, and if need be, 21st Century donates a brand new car seat to replace those that are broken, outdated or recalled. In just two years, we have completed over 1,700 inspections, destroyed over 850 unsafe seats and donated over 1,100 new seats to families in need. In 2004, the CHP and 21st are again taking to the road and conducting several fairs up and down California, from San Diego to Eureka.
Finally, get informed. Resources on how to select a child safety seat and how to install it properly are available at www.21st.com in a free, downloadable guide, or at the NHTSA website, www.nhtsa.dot.gov
We all know that accidents happen in a blink of an eye, so please take just a few minutes during National Child Passenger Safety Week to ensure the safety of your loved ones. Your little Valentine will thank you.
This column was jointly prepared by D.O. “Spike” Helmick, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, and Bruce W. Marlow, president and chief executive officer of 21st Century Insurance. Readers interested in writing a guest column should contact editor Walt Glines at ed******@*************es.com or 779-4106.
