Child Passenger Safety

Is your child safe on every ride?

A car seat is one of the best ways you can protect your child while traveling, but searching for the right one isn't an easy task. Hughes County EMS wants your child to be safe in your automobile. To help you protect your child’s safety, HCEMS offers Child Passenger Safety classes during special community events throughout the year.  Our classes and individual appointments (checks) will help guide you in your decision-making process and teach you how to install and use your car seat correctly. You will also learn when to transition your child to another seat and how to keep your child safe as he or she grows.

According to seatcheck.org, 96 percent of parents and caregivers believe their child’s safety seat is installed correctly while research shows that seven out of ten children are improperly restrained.

Having trouble deciding which car seat is the right fit for the child? The ultimate car seat guide provides helpful tips to give caregivers a general idea of what they need to know to keep kids safe while riding in vehicles. To gain a personalized knowledge to fit your and your child’s needs please visit: www.UltimateCarSeatGuide.org

Good to know

Installing a car seat is not as easy as it sounds. Here are some common mistakes that Sunstar’s classes can help you

correct:

• Loose seatbelt. If the seatbelt is not tightened properly, the child safety seat can shift dangerously

• Too-tight seatbelt. If the seatbelt is too tight, energy from a hard stop or an accident has no way of dissipating in the belt, and can crack the shell of the car seat

• Using the seatbelt system and the latch system at the same time. Like the too-tight seatbelt, this secures the seat too rigidly and does not allow for adequate “give” in the system to allow for excess energy to be distributed

Before you install a car seat, take the time to read the owner’s manual for car seat, and the manual for your car.

Recalls

To find out whether your child safety seat has been recalled, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website at www.nhtsa.gov.

The law

• Infants and children  under two (2) years of age must be in a rear facing car seat

• Children at least two (2) years of age but younger than four (4) years of age shall be properly secured in a forward-facing child passenger restraint system

• Children at least four (4) years of age but younger than eight (8) years of age AND less than 4 feet 9 inches in height shall be secured in a child booster seat

• Children at least eight (8) years of age or is taller than 4 feet 9 inches in height, a seat belt must be worn

• In Oklahoma, this is the law. A motorist can receive a fine plus points if children in the car are not restrained properly.

Ref: OK HB 1847 passed 5-22-15 signed by Governor 6-5-15

Why do we need child car seats?

A lot of time, money and effort is spent on making cars as safe as they can be, with regular tests carried out to ensure they’re roadworthy.

But that doesn’t make child safety seats any less important, especially when you consider they have to be designed to match the developing dimensions of babies and children.

• Children (especially babies) have different proportions – with smaller limbs in relation to head size.

• Babies have their major organs located in different places.

• Children have unformed muscles and bones.

• Young children and babies have a higher vulnerability to injury.

A recent study by Safeseats4kids showed child safety increased up to 82% when a child car seat was used – with a 28% lower risk of death compared to regular seatbelts.

For this reason, child car seats are integral to the safety of kids across the country. Without these devices, millions of children would be put in danger on a daily basis.

Children with disabilities or medical conditions

All medical conditions must be given extra care and attention. But it’s particularly important in the case of children with hip dysplasia.

Hip dysplasia is said to affect 1-3% of newborns. Babies will need a cast once the condition has been diagnosed, so parents often find a regular car seat is not suitable.

As such, specialist devices have been built to accommodate for babies with the condition. These help provide a comfortable ride for them, and reduces the risk of long-lasting hip problems.

Contact your physician for help in determining the right car seat for your child with disabilities or medical conditions