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Commentary
Child Passenger Safety-What Every Parent Should Know
Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for American children-the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that the trauma suffered by children riding unprotected in cars involved in crashes is the major cause of death and serious injury threatening children today. In the first six months of last year, two-thirds of child passengers killed in Colorado were not in car seats or wearing seat belts.
All motor-vehicle occupants need to be restrained and protected from hitting the vehicle's interior or ejected from the vehicle in case of a sudden stop, swerve or crash. In a 30-mph crash, children may be thrown forward with a force equal to 30 times their own weight; e.g., a 10-pound infant at 30 mph equals 300 pounds of force-equal to that of a fall from a three-story building.
Some people still believe they can protect children while riding in a vehicle by holding them on their laps, but safety experts call this the "child crusher" position. Even at low speeds, strong adults cannot restrain or shield children held in their laps. The children are thrown forward into a dashboard or seatback area and then crushed between that surface and the unrestrained adult's body.
In Colorado, children under age 16 must be properly secured in a car seat or seat belt. Yet, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, car seat usage for children under the age of four dropped from 89.2 percent in 1998 to 79.3 percent in 1999.
When buying a child safety seat, choose a seat that fits your child, your vehicle, and your budget, but don't base your selection of a child safety seat solely on price. Follow the instructions in your vehicle's owner's manual and try installing the seat in your vehicle to be certain that it fits and can be tightly secured. Most stores will allow you to examine different models.
Types of Child Safety Seats
Infant-only seats are designed for babies weighing up to 22 pounds, generally from 9 to 12 months of age. Infant safety seats should be installed to face the rear of the vehicle only, and must be secured by the vehicle's safety belt. Infants under one year of age must ride in a rear-facing position. Never install a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with air bags.
Convertible seats are designed for use by infants and toddlers. They can be used in a rear-facing position for infants up to 22 pounds or in the forward-facing position for toddlers up to 40 pounds and about four years of age. Convertible seats are available in three basic styles: five-point harness, T-shield, and tray shield. Typically, those equipped with a five-point harness system fit small infants best. For very small infants, rolling up small blankets or towels and placing them on each side of the infant's body should make the infant more comfortable in this larger seat. Though a convertible seat is designed to accommodate an infant, it is best to begin with an infant-only seat for the best fit and protection.
High-back, belt-positioning booster-these seats are intended for older children. Though most state laws do not require children over the age of four to be in a booster seat, it is much safer. The seat is used as a transition from a convertible seat to the adult safety belt. Booster seats offer the best upper-body protection for children weighing from 20 to 80 pounds. Before the child is 40 pounds and tall enough for the vehicle's lap and shoulder belts, these seats offer a five-point harness system to protect the upper body. High-back, belt-positioning boosters are also designed to help lap and shoulder belts fit better on children who are between 40 and 80 pounds. Booster seats should be used until the child properly fits the lap and shoulder belts.
While there will be local programs during National Child Passenger Safety Week (Feb. 11-17), details were not available at press time. For more information about child safety seats, contact AAA Colorado's Traffic Safety department at 303-753-8800 ext. 8105 or 8101, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's hotline for child safety seat recalls at 800-424-9393.
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