Be in the driver’s seat when choosing a car seat

Did you know that out of every five car seats, four of them are installed improperly or used incorrectly? Is yours that one good one, or one of the 80 percent? Make sure you are protecting your children properly.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and serious injury for children over 1 year old. In 2000, more than half of all children under 15 years killed in car crashes were unrestrained, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). More than half (56 percent) of all children ages 14 and under killed in a car crash were completely unrestrained.

General rules of thumb are to place infants up to 1 year old and 20 pounds in rear-facing seats. A rear-facing car seat should never be placed in a front seat with an air bag in place. The seat should also sit at a 45-degree angle in the seat, and many seats have indicators on them to help the parent ensure proper angle. Any child whose ears reach the top of the car seat or heavier than 40 pounds should ride in a booster seat. Booster seats must be used with both shoulder and waist belts. Once a child is in a booster seat, the safety belt should fit snugly across the center of the shoulder, not across the neck or face. In addition, the safety belt should lay low over the upper thighs, and not ride up on the abdomen.

Always remember to read the packaging for the particular model you are using and be absolutely certain about how to install and use it.

Which car seat is best?

All car seats sold today must meet federal safety standards and regulations, therefore you want to seek a seat that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and one that you will use correctly every time.

What are the current Alaska laws regarding car seats?

Alaska law says a driver may not transport children under 16 in a motor vehicle unless the child is properly secured according to state child passenger safety law. Children under age 4 must be properly secured in a federally approved car seat or booster car seat. For children over age 4 but under age 16, Alaska state law requires that the child be properly secured in a vehicle seat belt or federally approved car seat or booster seat, whichever is appropriate for the particular child. For more detailed information, Alaska Statute 28.05.095 contains the state laws regarding seat belts and child safety devices.

What if I cannot afford a car seat?

Contact me for more information, or contact various agencies around the Valley for information about locating less expensive or even free car seats. The State of Alaska Injury Prevention Division often can point you in the right direction for a agency close to you where you can locate free or at-cost car seat programs.

The Houston Fire Department will host a class for the State of Alaska Division of Injury Prevention on March 4-6 for child safety seat inspection technicians. With this National Highway Traffic Safety Agency certification, a person can legally inspect car seats for other people and help to educate them on the proper use of their car seats, under the direction of a national program that carries its own liability insurance. Businesses with employees with this certification could use it to help our new parents and customers, as well as increase their visibility with monthly car seat inspections. Anyone interested in attending is welcome to contact me for more information at the email address below.

Christian M. Hartley is the Public Information Officer, Training Officer, and a responder with the Houston Fire Department. Questions and comments are welcome to hartley@myopinionmatters.org.