CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY WEEK / SUNDAY MAY 5
Many parents still do not comply with state law by buckling their kids into child safety seats correctly--or at all. If they did, 88% of the 231 children who died statewide under the age of 4 during the last four years could have been saved, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Holding a child or baby in one’s arms isn’t safe. Simulated-crash tests have demonstrated that adults were unable to hold onto a dummy infant at 15 m.p.h. At 30 m.p.h., the force of the collision can crush a child between an adult and the dashboard or seat back.
Sightings of children or babies not properly restrained, including in the back of an open-bed truck, may be reported by car phone to the California Highway Patrol. The caller should note the license plate number and the make and color of the vehicle. If it is after the fact, call the CHP, public affairs division (916) 445-3908 at 2555 First Ave., Sacramento, Ca. 95814 or call SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (213) 673-2666. A letter of warning from the CHP will be issued to the owner of the car. Here’s a list of the number of injuries, fatalities and citations during the last four years in Los Angeles County involving c h ildren under age 4:
YEAR INJURIES FATALITIES CITATIONS 1987 1,493 10 N/A 1988 1,487 10 N/A 1989 1,623 6 3,686 1990 1,615 13 4,652
The most common errors are: * Improper use of the vehicle’s safety belt to anchor the seat. * Infant seats facing forward rather than to the rear. * Seat harnesses or shields fastened incorrectly. TIPS * Infant-only seats work for babies up to 20 pounds. These seats rest the child in a semi-reclined position and must always face to the rear. A baby’s back is much better able to abosrb the impact of a crash. Be sure the seat has the manufacturer name and address, date it was manufactured and conforms to federal standards. * Convertible car safety seats are the most popular design because they adapt easily from birth until about age 4 or until the child reaches 40 pounds or 40 inches. The seats face backward for small infants, then forward once the child reaches 20 pounds and over a year old. * Booster seats are designed to be used for children over 40 pounds. Smaller children can slide around too much during a collision and belong in a regular safety seat. * Household carriers are not designed to buckle into a car, nor do they have the restraints needed to protect a baby in a collision and are illegal to use in a car. NOTE: If you have any questions about the quality of your car seat or if it was installed properly, volunteers with SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. will be available Sunday at the Los Angeles Zoo, South Parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone with questions about car seat safety can call (800) CAR-BELT, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ toll-free number. SOURCE: SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Compiled by Times editorial researcher Cecilia Rasmussen
