Traffic Payout

National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 18-24, 2011 provides the opportunity to remind and reinforce safe driving and travelling behaviors. Research by the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that when used effectively, child passenger safety seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (children younger than 1 year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (children between 1 and 4 years old). Although everyone should buckle up every time they travel in a vehicle, parents and caregivers have a special responsibility to ensure that children are properly secured and protected during travel. That’s why it’s critical that parents with children under the age of 14 get the facts on the child passenger restraint laws that exist in their state and the penalties for not following those rules.

An important part of ensuring a child’s safety is selecting the proper car seat. Seats should be chosen based on a child’s age, height and weight and it always should be placed in the back seat of a vehicle. As a precaution, car seats also can be registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration so you will receive notifications on defects and recalls.

Car seats are essential safety devices and require proper installation. Be sure yours is correctly installed by getting it inspected by a certified technician at any of the participating locations on Saturday, September 24 during National Seat Check Saturday.