2009-34
NEWS RELEASE:  September 11, 2009
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   TechTRP Edna Buttler (785)296-6800

September 12-18 is National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week

National Seat Check Saturday, September 12, kicks off annual Child Passenger Safety Week

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages three to six and eight to 14. National Child Passenger Safety Week marks a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children. The Kansas Highway Patrol will join the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), Safe Kids, and other safety organizations in promoting safety for the youngest passengers traveling on Kansas roadways.

"Our duty everyday is to help keep Kansans safe. I think children hold a special place for all of us. Children are vulnerable and cannot always do things to protect themselves, so as adults, we must take it upon ourselves to help them stay safe. Should a child be involved in a crash, the single best protection they have is the appropriate child safety seat or seatbelt," Colonel Terry Maple, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol said.

Over the last 10 years in Kansas, 138 children ages four to 13 died in motor vehicle crashes. Of those children, only 50, or 36-percent were properly restrained. Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed a proclamation on September 10, designating next week (September 12-18) as Child Passenger Safety Week in Kansas. Child Passenger Safety Week will begin with National Seat Check Saturday on September 12. During National Seat Check Saturday, safety-minded organizations throughout the nation work to inspect child safety seats for proper installation.

It is vital for children to be buckled up, every trip, regardless of the distance or time traveled. The appropriate child safety seat for the child's age and weight should always be used. It is also key to remember that all children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat. Because of the speed and force with which an airbag is inflated, a rear-facing car seat in the front seat could cause serious injury or death to a baby, should the air bags be deployed. Older children (even those no longer in car seats) are also at risk for serious injury or death, should an airbag be deployed when they are riding in the front seat. One of the best ways to teach children the importance of wearing their seat belt is for parents and other drivers to serve as role models. Adults should be buckled up anytime they are traveling. Children observe and learn from those around them, and modeling the proper safety precautions to take will help them learn the importance of buckling up.

There are important guidelines parents and caregivers can refer to when trying to determine which restraint system is best to protect a child, dependent on age and size. The 4 Steps for Kids contains the following guidelines for helping choose the safest seat for your child, or for children in your care.

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age one and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age one and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age four and 40 pounds).
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age four and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age eight or when they are 4'9" tall).
4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age eight or when they are 4'9" tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

Adults should always read the child restraint manufacturer's instructions and the instructions found in their vehicle owner's manual before installing a safety seat. NHTSA studies show that the three most common mistakes in installing a child safety seat are (1) not attaching the seat correctly and tightly to the car or truck; (2) not fastening the harness tightly enough, and (3) not using the chest clip or using it incorrectly.

Information on Kansas' child seat requirements can be found on Kansas Department of Health and Environment's site at: www.kansasboosterseat.org. Throughout Kansas, there are many fitting stations that can inspect a child safety seat for proper installation, free of charge. Contact your nearest KHP troop headquarters to make an appointment to have your child's safety seat inspected by a certified child safety seat technician. To find other fitting stations by state or by zip code, or for National Seat Check Saturday events, go to: www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm.

KHP Fitting Station Locations