Child Passenger Safety Week is September 17-23

 

It’s the law. The state of California requires all occupants of a motor vehicle to be properly secured with children under age 8 secured in an appropriate child seat. Older children should remain in the back seat with safety belts until at least age 13. In California, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death and hospitalization among children under age 16.

 

With more than 24 million vehicles, and over 170,000 thousand miles of roadway, virtually every one of California’s 8 million young people are routinely exposed to traffic-related injury, disability and death. Motor vehicle occupant injuries are preventable, yet are among the top five causes of both death and hospitalization among children under 16.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that child restraints are 71 percent effective in reducing fatality among infants and 54 percent effective among children aged one to four in passenger cars.

 

Even if children are in a seat, only one in 10 car seats are properly installed. If used correctly, car seats can dramatically reduce the risk of serious and fatal injuries. Used car seats are not recommended, as they may have been subject to a recall, been in a previous accident, or do not meet current safety standards – all of which reduce their effectiveness. To check for recalls and other safety issues, go to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/childseat.cfm.

 

“Public safety is my highest priority as a County Supervisor,” said Hartmann, Chair of the Board. “I am proud to partner with the California Highway Patrol and our County’s First 5 to continue public education efforts to protect our children.”

 

In the United States during 2015, 663 children age 12 and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and in 2014 more than 121,350 were injured. A study from the Centers for Disease Control found that, in one year, more than 618,000 children age
0-12 rode in vehicles without the use of a child safety seat or booster seat, or a seat belt at least some of the time. Of the children 12 and younger who died in a crash in 2014, 34 percent were not wearing a seat belt.

 

For more information about child passenger safety, to schedule a training, or learn where you can have your car seat checked in your community, contact California Highway Patrol Officer Danny Maher at (805) 549-3261, extension 257.