Community Magazine February 2003

24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s ” xc w The vast majority of child safety seats are used incorrectly. According to a 2002 National SAFE KIDS Campaign study, more than 81 percent of child restraints are used incorrectly, including 88 percent of forward-facing toddler seats, 86 percent of rear-facing infant seats and 85 percent of safety belts, as determined at child passen- ger safety seat inspection stations across the country. This validates the findings of similar research by NHTSA. w Child passenger safety technicians have found and corrected numerous installation errors in seats installed by parents and care- givers. To find local inspection stations, go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps or www.seatcheck.org or call 866-SEAT- CHECK w Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (less than one year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (one to four years old) in passenger cars. w Child safety seats save infants. In 2001, 84 percent of infants involved in a fatal crash who were restrained in a child safety seat survived, compared with 42 percent of those who were unrestrained. w Adult driver safety belt use is the leading predictor of child restraint use. In a study, 40 percent of children riding with unbelted drivers were completely unrestrained, com- pared with only 5 percent of children riding with drivers using safety belts. w The LATCH system helps parents install car seats tightly with the least effort and the least likelihood of error. As of Sept. 1, 2002, all new child safety seats and new motor vehicles, except convertibles, come equipped with the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system. LATCH makes it possible to install a child safety seat (and some booster seats) more easily without using an adult safety belt. When completely phased in, LATCH is expected to reduce by 50 percent the misuse associated with the incorrect installation of child safety seats. For more information about child pas- senger safety, go to w ww.nhtsa.dot.gov. • 83% of 4-8 year olds in New York are restrained in an adult seat belt. • Children restrained in seat belts instead of a car seat or booster seat are 3.5 times more likely to suffer a serious injury. (Pediatrics, June 2000) • In the overall study, more than 90% of 4-8 year old children who were seri- ously injured were not restrained in a booster seat. • Less than 1% of New York children ages 7 or 8 years enrolled in the study were appropriately restrained in a BPB seat. 24 states get “F” in child passenger safety Twenty-four states in the United States got a failing grade from “Safe Kids” a nation- al child safety group for not having laws on the books to protect child passengers in motor vehicles. Only the state of California received an “A” for passing a new child occupant law in 2000. The state was the only one that specified the need for age- and size-appropriate restraints for children ages 4 and 5. Only one state, Florida, received a “B.” New York received a ”D”. New Jersey received the lowest score, making only 3 points out of a total 24 in the category of “appropriate child restraint requirements by age.” The report says New Jersey law allows children to ride completely unbuckled in the back seat while traveling in a car. Children under 17 months are the only ones specifi- cally required to be restrained in a child safety seat. Brooklyn Safety City Learning Center Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway New York, NY 11206 phone: 718-963-6858 Staten Island Safety City Learning Center 715 Ocean Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 phone: 718-390-5150 Queens Safety City Forest Park 107-02 Myrtle Ave. Richmond Hill, NY 11418 phone: 718-805-4510 Marjorie Marciano St. Mary’s Hospital for Children 29-01 216th Street Bayside, NY 11360 phone: 718-281-8890 Mark Hoffacker Special Needs fitting station Schneider & Nelson 270 Highway 36 West Long Branch, NJ 07764 phone: 732-389-1000 Michael Slyman Please contact the Child Pasenger Safety specialist to obtain specific inspection details. Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations Please call the number listed for times and schedules CM