Celebrate National Child Passenger Safety Week
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News from the Lake County Buckle Up Coalition
POLSON — A car crash can happen at anytime, often when least expected by the driver. Securing your children properly in age and size appropriate child safety seats, in the back seat of your vehicle, is the most effective thing you can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers.
The good news is that a majority of parents buckle up their children in child safety seats, booster seats or seat belts. However, according to the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 3 out of 4 child safety seats are not used properly, which is a huge risk when traveling.
That’s where NHTSA’s Child Passenger Safety Week can help. This annual campaign provides parents and caregivers with resources and information to better protect children from motor vehicle crash risks.
A child safety seat has to be:
• Appropriate for your child’s age and size
• Installed properly in your vehicle
• Adjusted to fit your child securely
At Walmart’s Sept. 21 “Safety Days” in Polson, a child passenger safety check station will be set up in the parking lot from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect your child’s safety seat and provide hands-on advice and instruction. Even if you’ve had your child’s seat inspected before, it never hurts to have a refresher. If you are unable to make the Saturday check event, feel free to drop by the Lake County Health Department, 802 Main St., where certified CPS techs are available to check your child’s car seat and answer your questions. You can find free inspection sites in other Montana cities during Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 15 – 22, online at www.nhtsa.gov.
All child passengers under age 13 should ride securely restrained in the back seat, where they are safest—every trip, every time.
