Did
you know that three out of four child safety
seats are improperly used or improperly installed
in vehicles? During Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Week, which runs from September 15 - 21, 2019, parents and caregivers can receive free, educational information about this critical traffic safety issue.
This year’s CPS Week, will culminate with a series of special events on Saturday, September 21, 2019. On that day, known nationally as “Seat
Check Saturday,” certified safety technicians
will provide hands-on assistance at locations
throughout the State related to proper child
restraint use. All New Jerseyans who transport
children in their vehicles are urged to stop
by one of these locations for free, educational
information on this critical issue. While the
highest level of child restraint use both nationally
and in New Jersey is for infants under one year
of age, parents are reminded to take advantage
of the information available from State agencies,
local police departments and traffic safety
organizations, as early as possible, to ensure
they’re fully prepared when their new
baby arrives, and for the years that follow.
A list of Seat Check Saturday events locations
can be found by clicking on this link.
To
maximize child passenger safety, parents and
caregivers should adhere to the following guidelines
for determining which restraint system is best
suited to protect children based on age and
size:
- For
the best possible protection keep infants
in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety
seats, up to the height or weight limit of
that particular seat.
-
When children outgrow their rear-facing seats they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds.)
-
Once children outgrow their forward-facing
seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds),
they should ride in booster seats, in the
back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit
properly. Seat belts fit properly when the
lap belt lays across the upper thighs and
the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually
when the child is at least 4' 9" tall)
-
When children outgrow their booster seats,
they should be restrained in the seat belts
in the back seat, until at least 13 years
of age.
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