June 14, 2004

By: Davina White
Website: http://www.1st-in-babies.com

Child Passenger Safety Seat – Keep Your Child Safe In A Crash

The Columbia office of AAA Carolinas will hold a free combined child passenger safety seat check and vehicle safety check as part of a Safe Driving Day. The event will be at the branch office at 810 Dutch Square Blvd., across the street from Dutch Square Mall.

An appointment for a passenger seat safety check can be made by calling 803-798-9205. Appointments are not needed for the vehicle safety check, which will include looking at a vehicle’s tires, windshield wipers, lights, belts, hoses, air filter and battery.

Attendees will receive a written evaluation of their vehicle’s safety, and parents will be instructed on the installation of their child’s passenger safety seat. Drinks and snacks will be provided along with traffic safety brochures.

During AAA Carolinas sponsored Safe Driving Day events, more than 85 percent of children in safety seats were found to be improperly secured.

Incorrect installations can include the wrong seat for the size or age of the child, the straps in the wrong place, or if materials not part of the seat have been placed between the child and the seat.

It’s also key that vehicles are operating correctly, said David E. Parsons, CEO and president of AAA Carolinas.

AAA Carolinas found more than 40 percent of all vehicles on the road are operating on improperly inflated or worn tires, reducing the amount of traction by as much as 25 percent.

Tires with poor tread will take longer to stop and will hydroplane easily. When any tire readings decrease to 3/16 of an inch, it is time to shop for a new tire. When the reading becomes 2/16 of an inch, the tread wear has reached its legal limit in most states.

One of the most dangerous things a parent can do is not buckle up their child at all.

Some parents feel like they aren’t being good parents if they aren’t holding their children, Parsons said. The best way to love your child is to keep him or her in a properly installed car seat.

If a car is traveling 20 mph with a mother holding a 20-pound baby, the child will effectively weigh 400 pounds in a crash. The mother’s arms aren’t strong enough to prevent a child from being ejected - and neither is an improperly installed child seat.

The safest place for children is in the back seat.

* Infants less than 20 pounds and one year of age should ride in rear-facing child safety seats. Rear-facing car seats should NEVER be placed in front of an operating air bag.

* Children older than one year of age and weighing more than 20 pounds should ride in forward-facing child safety seats for as long as they fit well. If their ears are below the top of the back of the safety seat and their shoulders are below the seat strap slots, the seat is appropriate for their age and weight.

* In South Carolina, children 5 years old and younger and weighing 40 to 80 pounds must use a booster seat. A seat belt typically doesn’t correctly fit a child this size without a booster seat, which lifts the child so the shoulder strap lies across the shoulder, not across the neck.

* If you think your child is big enough to sit like an adult, do the seat cushion test. Have your child sit in the back seat with his or her back straight against the back cushion. If your child’s knees can easily bend over the cushion, he or she is big enough to use a seat belt without a booster seat.

Also see; infant car seats.

About The Author:

Davina White is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-babies.com.  Taking care of your babies needs including safety, toys, health and baby products.