Properly installed child car safety seats, boosters save lives

Injury Prevention Center to host free car seat inspection event

DALLAS – There’s no disputing the numbers – child car safety seats and boosters save lives. But parents may not always be knowledgeable about when and how to use these safety devices.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, properly installed car seats reduce the risk of death to infants younger than 1-year-old by 71 percent and for toddlers aged 1 to 4 by 54 percent. Meanwhile, booster seats reduce the risk of serious injury to children aged 4 to 8 by 45 percent when compared to using seat belts alone.

“While car safety seats and boosters can save lives, they are not always being used correctly or parents have selected an inappropriate seat for their child’s size,” said Shelli Stephens-Stidham, director of the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas, based at Parkland Health & Hospital System. “Many times parents may be good about using car seats for smaller children, but they forget that older kids also may need booster seats.”

September 18-24 is Child Passenger Safety Week, a perfect time to review the importance of car safety seats and the best way to use them. The Injury Prevention Center will host a free car seat inspection event from 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Chase Bank parking lot, 6300 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas 75235. Parents who make an appointment can bring in their child’s car seat and certified technicians will inspect it and offer instructions on proper installation.

To make an appointment, call 214.590.4455.

Child safety seats vary by manufacturer, so it’s important to read your owner’s manual carefully for specific age, size or weight limits of your car seat. Generally, infants and children up to age 2 should be buckled into rear-facing car seats in the back seat. Children aged 2 to at least 5 should be in front-facing car seats in the back seat. When a child gets too big for the car seat harness, and is over 4 years old and weighs 40 pounds or more, he or she can then begin using a booster seat.

Texas law requires that children younger than 8 years of age ride in a car seat or booster every time they are in a motor vehicle unless than are 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

“Booster seats are important because you have to remember that seat belts are made for adults, not children,” Stephens-Stidham said. “The boosters ensure that the car’s seat belts fit properly, across the upper thighs, not the stomach, and across the chest, not the neck.”

A shoulder harness that lies across a child’s neck may be so uncomfortable that the child slides it behind his or her back, increasing the risk of serious head or neck injuries. A seat strap that is across the stomach and not the upper thighs could result in internal injuries in case of a crash.

Stephens-Stidham offers additional recommendations for parents:

• Do not buy a used car seat because it may previously have been damaged in a crash
• Most car seats have an expiration date, usually after six years, but that can vary by manufacturer
• Have your child’s car seat checked to make sure it is installed correctly
• Parents should set a good example by always buckling up

To get help to ensure your child car seat is appropriate and properly installed, visit www.seatcheck.org . For information about the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas visitwww.injurypreventioncenter.org. To learn more about Parkland, go to www.parklandhospital.com.