Children bring so much joy to our lives. I think that is why they are featured in commercials, even when commercials cost the most to air, as during the Super Bowl. People pay attention when children are involved. I believe every parent, grandparent, or child-care provider wants the best for their loved ones. The best way to ensure their protection is to make sure everyone is buckled up appropriately in a car safety seat, booster seat or a seat belt.
Delaware’s Child Restraint Law requires child safety seat restraint usage for all children through 6 years of age or 60 pounds. From the age of 7 or 60 pounds through 16, seat belt use is required. National Child Passenger Safety Week is February 13-19, 2005. During this week, police agencies will be focusing extra efforts on enforcing this law. But even the law cannot fully protect our children.
Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of children ages 2-14. According to statistics reported by the Office of Highway Safety, last year in Delaware two children aged 1 and 4 were killed and 409 children were injured in motor vehicle crashes. Twenty-two percent of children under age 4 were not restrained in car safety seats as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and mandated by Delaware law. Children ages 4 through 8 are best protected by booster seats, but fewer than 50% of children in this age range injured in crashes were only restrained by seat belts. Seat belts do not always adequately fit or restrain children in crashes. Studies show that children aged 2 through 5 who graduate to seat belts too soon have a 4 times greater risk of head injury. A booster seat improves the fit of a seat belt for children so that the seat belt can protect your child from being ejected from the vehicle, or tossed around in the vehicle during a crash.
Even parents who do use car seats and booster seats instead of seat belts may not have these car seats installed correctly. Incorrect use of car seats, booster seats and seatbelts puts children at risk for injury. Misuse of car seats in Delaware has been reduced by 6% state wide in the last year, but is still at 79%.
Parents can receive free education on how to properly place their children in their car seat, booster seat, or vehicle seat belt at community car seat check-up events or by visiting one of the permanent fitting stations. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety, The Delaware SAFE KIDS Coalition, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Office, and the New Castle County Emergency Medical Services Unit are collaborating to hold events throughout Child Passenger Safety Week. All car seat check-up events and appointments at the fitting stations are free and open to the public. For a list of the fitting stations and upcoming car seat check-up events, you can contact the New Castle County Extension Office at 302-831-2506 or visit their website: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/ncc/
For the complete text of Delaware’s Child Restraint Law, visit the Delaware Office of Highway’s website at: http://www.state.de.us/highway/CPS.htm. The American Academy of Pediatrics also has an excellent publication on their website at, www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm, entitled, “Car Safety Seats: A Guide For Families.” Other websites that provide excellent current information on child passenger safety are www.nhtsa.dot.gov, www.safekids.org, www.saferidenews.com, and www.boostamerica.org.
—Cindy Genaou, Extension Educator, Community Traffic Safety
Originally published in “Newark Outlook,” The Newark Post
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