Wisconsin has primary enforcement for seatbelt use, but are your kids properly buckled up?
Advocates want you to know the importance of properly securing all children in appropriate child safety seats, booster seats, or seat belts.
“The vast majority of child safety seats, they’re often not used correctly.”
Nick Jarmusz with the AAA says it’s not only important to strap the kids in their seat, but make sure it’s secured to the car seat. Also, Jarmusz says even attentive parents make common errors without realizing it.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children ages 2 – 14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But, the agency is quick to point out that 244 lives of kids under age five were saved in 2008 crashes because they were safely secured.
For proper instruction, find a Safety Seat Technician near you at www.seatcheck.org.
NOTE: This is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Safety seat technicians go to a special 40-hour training course to learn how to operate and safely use every type of seat in every type of car. SeatCheck.org lists technicians located near you — often police departments, fire departments, hospitals, and AAA offices.
Most common mistakes:
1. Not using a safety seat.
2. Not reading safety seat instructions.
3. Using restraints for older children too soon.
4. Installing safety seats too loosely.
5. Adjusting seat harnesses incorrectly.
6. Keeping loose items in vehicle.
