In these hard economic times, when parents have a new child on the way, it is often tempting to use a hand-me-down child safety seat or a used child seat purchased from a second hand store but, did you know that child safety seats have expiration dates?

It is a little known fact that child safety seats have expiration dates; usually six years from the manufacture date. There is a very good reason for this. Child safety seats are made from synthetic, petroleum based plastics and fabrics. While these materials are excellent for this purpose and make for a very strong and reliable child protective seat, they are subjected to a lot of harmful environmental factors that can weaken them over the years.

Most child seats remain in the car and internal temperatures inside the car in the summer can easily reach 130 to 140 degrees and over time, this can lead to a breakdown of the plastic materials. Exposure to the sun is also harmful. Synthetic fabrics, especially nylon don’t tolerate long periods of direct exposure to the sun very well. When exposed to the sun over long periods, the synthetic fabrics can become brittle and break; not something you want a safety belt to do.

Read more about: Summer Heat Warnings - Never Leave Children Alone in Cars

So, while a used seat may look perfectly fine, there may be damage that is too small to see that can grow over time. Your little passenger is too precious to take that chance. Most seats have the expiration date embossed in the plastic on the bottom of the seat. When considering a used car seat, check the expiration date and make sure that your child will have outgrown it before it expires.

Parents should also remember that children who outgrow the child safety seat should graduate into a booster seat until they are at least 4’9” tall. Lots of kids are graduated to seat belts too early and their small frames prevent the seat belt from fitting properly low over their hips. If the belt should rise up over their abdomen, they could be injured in a crash.

For more information on child safety seats and booster seats, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at: http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/child_restraints/default.html

For help in learning how to properly install and use a child seat, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a web site that can direct you to a trained Child Passenger Safety Technician in your area who can teach you how to install your seat, answer any questions you may have, and give you additional information on child safety seats. To locate a Child Passenger Safety Technician, visit: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm

Labels: child safety, child safety seat, child safety seats, seat belt safety, seat belts

Child Passenger Safety Week is coming up September 18 – 24 and there are a few issues to be aware of as we think about how to best protect the most precious cargo of all.

A small but interesting study by the Yale School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics revealed that large number of children are unbuckling themselves from their child safety seat while the car is in motion, making their risk of injury in a crash up to three and a half times greater. What is remarkable is that some of those children who unbuckle themselves are as young as 12 months old.

According to the Yale press release, "The team found that 75% of children who self-unbuckle were age three and under, with an age range of 12 to 78 months. Unbuckling was reported as early as 12 months of age and was more common in boys than girls. Of the children self-unbuckling, 43% did so while the car was in motion. Twenty-nine percent of children who unbuckle are in a five-point restraint and do so more commonly from the chest buckle. The most common parental response to self-unbuckling while the car was in motion was "pull over, reprimand, and re-buckle the child."

If you, as a parent or grandparent, find your toddler unbuckling their seat belt, don’t try to deal with it while the car is in motion. The safest possible action is to slow, find a place to pull over as quickly as possible and then, reprimand and re-buckle your child; trying to deal with the situation while the car is in motion puts both of your lives at risk.

In an article on this study in WebMD.com, Lorrie Walker, training manager and technical advisor for Safe Kids USA, an advocacy group was quoted as saying; "This study raises questions about how the child restraint was used,". She went on to say that "Federal motor vehicle safety standard 213 requires the buckle to release using between 9 and 14 pounds of pressure. It is often challenging for an adult to unbuckle the harness." She wondered if the buckle wasn't adequately locked in some of those cases.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that as many as three out of four parents aren’t installing their child safety seat correctly. If you have doubts about whether or not you are properly buckling the harness or whether or not the child safety seat is installed correctly, there is a service that you can use to get training and guidance on the proper use of a child safety seat. NHTSA has a website called the "Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator". In this site, you can plug in your state or zip code and find technicians who can show you how to properly install and use the child safety seat. These Child Passenger Safety Technicians receive training and certification based on a standardized nationally recognized curriculum.



Using the Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator, you can find a nearby Child Passenger Safety Technician, usually at your county's Department of Public Safety or the local police or fire department. You will need to make an appointment with the technician and allow about 20 minutes to complete the training. Expectant parents should schedule an appointment about three weeks before their child's due date. This is a free service.

You should remember also that child safety seats aren't just for babies and toddlers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has determined that children are being graduated from child safety seats to seat belts too early. In small children, instead of resting low over their hips and pushing against their hip bones, the seat belt tends to ride up over their abdomen where it can cause internal injuries in a crash. Children who graduate out of child safety seats should move into a booster seat until they are at least 4'9" tall or anywhere from 9 to 11 years of age.

While talking about car seats, it is important to remember never to leave your child unattended in a car. Even when the outside temperature is cool, the temperatures inside a car can quickly rise up to more than 100 degrees on a sunny day. Kids and Cars.org estimates that, on average, 38 children die in hot cars each year from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside motor vehicles.

Labels: child safety, child safety seat

The school year is beginning in many school districts across the country and more will be opening over the next several weeks. That means school buses will be returning to the roads. It also means that the lives of the children who ride those buses will be put at risk by motorists who illegally pass school buses while they are loading and unloading. The most dangerous time for students who ride school buses is while they are boarding or exiting the bus. In an average year, about 15 school age children will be killed while loading and unloading and approximately 500 will be injured.

The National Association of State Directors of Student Transportation Services (NASDPTS) conducted a single day survey earlier this year involving school buses in 28 states. According to the survey, almost 112,000 school bus drivers reported being illegally passed by 37,756 vehicles while the school bus was stopped with the lights flashing and the stop arm extended. Surprisingly, more than three percent of the vehicles passed the bus on the right side where students were loading and unloading. The NASDPTS reports that the 37,356 vehicles in those 28 states, on that single day, represent a total of more than thirteen million violations nationwide.

The problem with enforcing laws against passing school stopped buses is that, in most states, a law enforcement officer must actually witness the act before a citation can be issued. Some states have allowed the bus driver to record the license number of an offending vehicle but that only results in a warning letter sent to the driver. Now some states are looking at new methods for catching and convicting motorists who illegally pass school buses.

This year, four states (GA, VA, CT, and WA) have passed laws allowing school districts to install “Stop Arm Cameras” on the buses that will create a video record when a vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus. The vehicle’s license number will be recorded and a citation will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Georgia's law, which went into effect on July 1st, calls for a fine of $300 for the first offense, $750 for the second, and $1,000 for a third offense within a five year period.

Other states including North Carolina, Maryland, are considering similar laws and Massachusetts and Ohio are conducting pilot programs to study the effectiveness of stop arm cameras.

As the children return to school, remember that all vehicles must slow and prepare to stop when the school bus is flashing its amber lights and they must stop once the red lights start flashing and the stop arm is extended. All vehicles must remain stopped until the bus driver has turned off the red lights and withdrawn the stop arm. In most states, vehicles traveling in the opposite direction on a divided highway do not need to stop but they should slow and be prepared to stop in case a child darts across the highway. Children are always unpredictable, watch out for them.

Labels: child safety, school bus safety, stop arm cameras, stopped school bus, vehicle safety

In September, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that states to pass more comprehensive child restraint laws to cover children up to eight years of age. The NTSB cited Florida, which only requires child restraints for children up to the age of three, as having the weakest child restraint laws in the nation. The NTSB also called on twenty one states to pass legislation requiring the use of booster seats.

Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for children from age three to fourteen. In 2008, 297 children under the age of four lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes. Of those 297 children, 32% were totally unrestrained.
Parents could potentially be placing their children at risk while driving. A study conducted in 2002 by State Farm Insurance and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia added weight to previous studies showing that 83% of children are graduating from child safety seats to adult seat belts too early.

The problem lies in the different ways that seat belts fit around an adult's body compared to the way they fit around a child. When properly belted in, the seat belt should fit low over a vehicle occupant's hips. In a crash, the belt will provide restraint by pushing back against the relatively hard surface of the occupant’s hip bones. If the belt were to sit higher across the soft tissue of the occupant's abdomen, it could cause significant damage to internal organs and could, in severe crashes, actually cut into the occupant's abdomen. Seat belts on children, with their small frames, tend to ride high over the child’s abdomen. The 2002 study refers to this as the "Seat Belt Syndrome" in children. The seat belt syndrome has contributed to abdominal and spinal injuries in children. The studies found that children between the ages of 3 and 9 were at greatest risk of seat belt syndrome. The problem is compounded by the way shoulder harnesses fit over children. Instead of sitting properly over a child’s shoulder, the shoulder harness tends to ride across their neck and rub against their face causing many to place the shoulder harness behind them.

The answer to this problem is quite simple but, for some reason, the word isn’t getting around. The studies show that once children outgrow their child safety seats, they should graduate to a booster seat. Booster seats raise the child’s body to a position that allows the seat belt to ride low over their hips the way they are designed. Booster seats can also help to properly position the shoulder harness so that it provides maximum protection. The American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines that say children should remain in booster seats until they are 4'9" in height or, on average, from 9 to 11 years of age. Their website also has guidelines on the proper use of child restraints from infants to teens.

In spite of campaigns by the insurance industry and guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only 13 states and the District of Columbia have passed booster seat laws that comply with federal guidelines. There are modified booster seat laws in 25 states and 12 states have no child restraint seat laws at all for children beyond 4 or 5 years of age.

When considering a booster seat for your child, remember that all booster seats are not created equally. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted crash tests and published a list of the best and worst booster seats that are currently on the market. The IIHS website also has pictures showing how lap belts and shoulder harnesses should fit to provide maximum protection. The best seats provide proper height adjustment for the lap belt and keep the shoulder harness away from the abdomen and over the shoulder where they belong. The IIHS also has a list of state laws regarding child restraints.

It is critically important to remember that keeping a child restrained in an adult seat belt is better than no restraint at all. The word about booster seats is slowly getting around and more and more parents are using them every year but the percentage of children in booster seats is still far too low.

Labels: booster seat, booster seat laws, child restraint laws, child safety, child safety seat, child safety seats

Are you distracted when driving in your car? Maybe you are not on the phone or texting someone, so you think you are just fine. But are you preoccupied with thoughts of the day ahead of you? Do you have lots going on at work or do you think you will be late for a class or late for work? Do you have an errand to run, like stopping quickly at the bank, or maybe you need some milk or baby food and then you look back and see your child has fallen asleep. What do you do? Wake up the child or let them sleep peacefully and run into a store for just a minute. Or, do you arrive at your destination and never look back? Always keep in mind, - Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle.

In areas where you have warm weather most of the year, as well as northern areas where it is hot only several months out of the year, children should never be left alone in a vehicle. The statistics for children dying in a hot car seem to be increasing each year.

The car can be considered a metal box and the hot sun can increase its temperature to be equivalent to an oven.

When the temperature outside is 93 degrees, after 20 minutes the car will be 125 degrees, and after 40 minutes it can be about 140 degrees.

A car parked in direct sunlight can reach as high as 170 degrees even after 15 minutes. At that temperature it takes only a few minutes for children to die or suffer brain, liver and kidney damage.

When caregivers or parents become pre-occupied are in a hurry and have already dropped several children at school or day care and a child falls asleep while sitting in the back in the car seat, they can be forgotten. Try to use something as a reminder to prevent this from ever happening.

Some suggestions include:

• Set your cell phone or blackberry reminder.


• Have your day care call you if your child does not arrive by a set time each day.


• Use a daily checklist that lists everything you need to do, especially when transporting children.

If you are a bus driver or van driver, check the vehicle from end to end. Perhaps use an object that at pick up time you put it in the back of the vehicle, and at drop off, you bring it with you to the front while checking every seat as well as under the seats.

Additional child safety tips include:

• Teach children not to play in or around cars.


• Always make sure all passengers have left your car when you park.


• Make sure to check the temperature of the car seat surface and safety belt buckles before restraining a child.


• Keep car keys away from children and always lock your car, so that children do not look to sneak into the car or trunk to hide or to play.


• If you see children alone in a locked car, try to find the parents, if you cannot locate anyone in a short period of time call 9-1-1.

Although every state has different laws regarding this, many can charge you with a crime that involves a trial, and possible prison time.

Don't be a statistic. Don't get distracted. Concentrate and Focus.
KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE.

Additional Articles:
Summer Heat Warning - Never Leave Children Alone in Cars
Preparing Your Vehicle for Summer Heat

Labels: child safety, driver safety tips, summer car care, summer driving

In November, the New York State Senate unanimously passed the Child Passenger Protection Act which outlined stricter penalties for people convicted of drunk driving with a child in the vehicle. New York Governor David Patterson, a strong supporter of the measure, signed the bill on November 18. The Child Passenger Protection Act, more commonly known as Leandra's Law, went into effect on December 18, 2009.

Leandra's Law, which was named for an 11-year-old-girl who died in an accident by a drunk driver last fall, makes driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs a first-time felony offense when a child under the age of 15 is present in the vehicle. Additionally, those who are convicted are required to outfit their vehicles with ignition interlock systems.

The ignition lock is a device that requires the driver to blow into before he or she can start the car. The device has the ability to detect if the driver has consumed alcohol. If the device detects alcohol on the driver's breath it prevents the driver from being able to start the car. This mandatory ignition interlocking system is does not only pertain to driver’s with children under the age of 15 in the vehicle. Under New York state law any person convicted of DUI or DWI is required to out their vehicle with the device.

Driving impaired, or with a BAC above the .08 legal limit, with a child present is now considered a Class E felony for both first-time and repeat offenders. A Class E felony is punishable by 1 to 4 years in a New York state prison and $1,000 - $5,000 in fines, in addition to the mandatory ignition interlock.

Under Leandra’s Law the charges a person faces have increasing penalties in the event of serious injury or death to a child. The penalties are outlined as follows:

Serious Injury

• Class D felony


• 1 – 7 years in prison

Serious Injury & Reckless Driving

• Class C felony


• Maximum 15 years in prison

Death

• Class C felony


• Maximum 15 years in prison

Death & Reckless Driving

• Class B felony


• Maximum 25 years in prison

Read more about New York defensive driving and other drivers safety tips at http://safety.newyorkdefensivedrivingnow.com/.

Labels: alcohol, blood alcohol level, child passenger protection act, child safety, drunk driving, dui, new york driving laws, underage alcohol use, vehicle safety

Hyperthermia is Leading Cause of Non-crash Child Vehicle Deaths

Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned parents that the risk of a serious injury or death during hot weather is greater for children left alone in vehicles. Recently released research shows that hyperthermia (heat-stroke) is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle deaths for children.

"Even with the windows rolled down two inches, it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach deadly temperatures on a hot summer day," said Ronald Medford, Acting Deputy Administrator of NHTSA. "Children should never be left alone in or around a motor vehicle, not even for a quick errand. Any number of things can go critically wrong in the blink of an eye."

According to a new NHTSA study, 262 children under the age of 14 are killed and 115,000 are injured in non-crash incidents on private roads, driveways and in parking lots each year. Of that number, 44 fatalities and 105,000 injuries are the results of non-crash incidents such hyperthermia, strangulation by power windows, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Many of the remaining deaths and injuries in non-crash incidents are the result of a child being backed over by a vehicle where the driver did not see the child.

The NHTSA's safety tips to prevent hyperthermia include:

• Never leave a child alone in a vehicle.

• Do not let your children play in an unattended vehicle. Make sure they understand that a vehicle is not a play area.

• Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or if the engine is running and the air conditioning is on.

• Always inspect the front and back seats of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away.

• If your spouse or partner is taking your child to daycare, and normally it's your responsibility, call your spouse or partner to make sure everything went according to plan.

• Ask your childcare provider to phone you immediately if your child does not show up for childcare. To remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle:

—Write a note and put it on the steering wheel or anywhere you will see it when you leave the vehicle.
—Place your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle.
—Keep an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy, to remind you that a child is in the vehicle. When the child is buckled in, place the object where you will see it when exiting the vehicle.

• Always lock vehicle doors and trunks and keep keys out of the reach of children. If a child is missing, inspect your vehicle first, including the trunk.

• Call 911 if you see a child alone in a hot vehicle. Get them out as quickly as possible if they are in distress due from the heat. Cool the child as quickly as possible.

Labels: car seats, child safety, driver education, driver safety, driver safety tips, seat belt safety, summer driving, summer vacation, vehicle safety

As a parent, nothing is more disturbing than the thought of losing a child. Unfortunately, this happens to a significant number of parents each year when they get in a car and back over a child who couldn't be seen behind the vehicle.

Statistics on this issue are hard to come by, and it is believed that the reported incidents don't fully cover the extent of the problem. One source of information on this issue comes from Kids and Cars, a website devoted to education and awareness of this and other matters involving children and motor vehicles. This group estimates that two children a week are killed this way. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 2,767 children were victims of reverse/back over injuries between July 2000 and June 2001. This estimate comes from data obtained from computerized reports of hospital emergency rooms.

Many drivers don't realize just how large a blind spot exists behind their vehicle. According to Consumer Reports, a sedan has a blind spot of up to 11 feet behind the car, a minivan has a blind spot of up to 18 feet, and a large pickup truck results in the driver’s view being obscured for up to 28 feet to the rear. It is difficult to see a child in such large blind spots.

Technology offers some solutions. Backup sensors can warn a driver of an object behind the car. Backup cameras are offered as options on many new vehicles, and wireless cameras can be purchased at a relatively low price. Video displays can be mounted on the dash or visor. They offer a wide angled view of the area behind the vehicle, and provide night vision capability. Kids and Cars is pushing for federal legislation that will require auto makers to install these technologies on all new cars.

Although technology can make a difference, it can't relieve the driver of the responsibility to back-up safely. The following tips may help:

1) Check behind the vehicle for any obstructions before getting in and starting up.
2) Don't depend on your mirrors to provide a full view to the rear of your vehicle.
3) Look over your shoulder to check your blind spots.
4) Back up very slowly.
5) Be prepared to stop at the slightest bump.
6) Teach your child to walk around vehicles where they can see the driver and the driver can see them.

Labels: blind spot, child safety, vehicle