Alexander County
Partnership for Children and Alexander County Sherriff’s Department today announced it will conduct a
“National Seat Check Monday” event on Sept. 17th at Alexander County
Family YMCA. Certified child passenger
safety technicians will be on hand from 4:30-6:30pm to check car seats for proper installation and advise parents and
caregivers how to choose the right car seats and install them properly in their
vehicles. The event, part of Taylorsville’s participation in Child
Passenger Safety Week on Sept. 17 is free to the public.
Motor
vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. Crash data from the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2010 shows
that about 2 children 12 or younger were killed and 325 were injured each day
in passenger vehicles.
“You can never predict or control what other
drivers might do or how the weather might change the safety of a roadway,” said
Leah Bumgarner.“The best way to protect your kids
is to put them in the right car seats for their age and size and use those
seats correctly on every trip, every time. By attending Taylorsville’s car seat
event on National Seat Check Monday, parents and caregivers can be sure their
kids are riding as safely as possible.”
She also urged parents to
follow NHTSA’s car seat recommendations that recommend parents and caregivers
keep children in their restraint types for as long as possible according to
manufacturer instructions before moving them to the next type. For maximum safety,
a parent or caregiver should have the car seat installation inspected by a
certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure their children are in the
right seats for their age and size.
Children 12 and under should always ride in the back seat.
Birth – 12 months
For the best possible
protection, your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car
seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats can
only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have
higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to
keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
1 – 3 years
Your child should remain in
a rear-facing car seat until the child reaches the top height or weight limit
allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children
riding rear-facing to age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing
car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a
harness.
4 – 7 years
Keep your child in a
forward-facing car seat with a harness until the child reaches the top height
or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child
outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a
booster seat, but still in the back seat.
8 – 12 years
Keep your child in a
booster seat until the child is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For
a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper
thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder
and chest and not cross the neck or face.
Remember:
·
Select
a car seat based on your child’s age and size, choose a seat that fits in your
vehicle, and use it on every trip, every time.
·
Always
refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle
owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH
system; and check height and weight limits.
·
To
maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as
long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight
requirements.
·
Keep
your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
Mrs. Johnson is one of the four year old teachers at Millersville
Child Development Center. She has devoted some extra time to making the
Creative Curriculum easier for her to utilize and organize. Mrs. Jeannie wanted to have a way to ensure
that each objective and dimension to the Creative Curriculum was being seen for
each child. She created a documentation
sheet that allows her to check off each objective and dimension for every
child, every three months. This took
extra time and effort however the reward will be in knowing that each child’s
development is being documented. Thanks
to Mrs. Jeannie for going above and beyond. 
