West Haven Fire Dept. Kicks Off Child Safety Seat Program

West Haven CT

15 November, 2021

12:22 PM

Description

From The City of West Haven Fire Department - Allingtown WEST HAVEN, CT — (Contributed): Every day in America, millions of parents and caregivers travel with children in their vehicles. While some children are buckled in properly in the correct car seats for their ages and sizes, many are not, if they are buckled up at all. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46 percent of car seats are misused. To help combat this issue, The City of West Haven Fire Department - Allingtown recently announced its Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspection & Installation program, which is dedicated to helping parents and caregivers make sure their children ride as safely as possible — every trip, every time. The Child Passenger Safety Seat program involves clinics conducted by Fire Dept. staff who have received certification as Child Safety Seat installation technicians who will either inspect existing car seat installations, or install child safety car seats to those who wish to do so. The certification training is in accordance with the National Child Passenger Safety Program through Safe Kids Worldwide. The clinics will be held twice a month primarily at the COWHFD Allingtown Minor Park station in West Haven at 318 Fairfax St., and occasionally at other sites around the West Haven area. Interested parents and caregivers who wish to take advantage of this public service should contact the numbers provided to schedule either an inspection or installation of their child safety car seats. To schedule an inspection or installation, call 203-933-2541, or 203-387-6623 to learn more. The number of car seat inspections and installations that can be effectively performed are limited for each Clinic event. "Every 32 seconds in 2018, a child under 13 was involved in a passenger vehicle crash," and "Using car seats that are age- and size-appropriate is the best way to keep your children safe." According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children, and while fatalities declined from 2017 to 2018, there is still work to be done to completely eliminate these preventable tragedies. Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts can make all the difference. "In 2017, there were 312 children under the age of 5 saved because they were in a car seat. Car seats matter, and having the right car seat installed and used the right way is critical." Too often, parents move their children to the front seat before they should, which increases the risk of injury and death, even if that child is buckled up. The safest place for all kids under 13 is in the back seat. NHTSA reported that, in 2015, about 25.8 percent of children 4 to 7 who should have been riding in booster seats were prematurely moved to seat belts, and 11.6 percent were unbuckled altogether. "As parents and caregivers, we have a long list of things we do for our children to show our love. One of the simplest and most important things on the list should be to make sure they are in the right car seat for their age and size. Get your car seats checked. Make sure they're installed correctly, and that your kids are in the right seats and are buckled in correctly. Even if you think your child's car seat is installed correctly, get it checked with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, so you can be sure that your child is the safest he or she can be while traveling." NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, up to the top height and weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing-only "infant" car seat, he/she should travel in a rear-facing "convertible" or all-in-one car seat. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing size limits, the child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat with harness, children should be placed in booster seats until they're the right size to use seat belts safely. Always remember to register your car seat and booster seat with the car seat manufacturer so you can be notified in the event of a recall. Parents and caregivers can view more information on car seat safety and locate a certified technician at www.nhtsa.gov/therightseat.