Child Passenger Safety Week Begins
Police officials say 4 children die everyday in the United States because they are not properly restrained.
“The seatbelt law applies to adults. Children-we are responsible for making sure that they are properly restrained as well and until that child is age sixteen they have to be in a restraint,” says Sgt. Michael O’Hara of the Troy Police Department.
There are a few common mistakes that parents make in buckling up children.
“One-they’re not in the right seat. Two-their seatbelts are not tight enough,” says Michelle Dennis.
“They won’t actually have the car seat belts actually tight enough on the child or they won’t have the seat itself installed properly where it doesn’t move less than one inch left to right or forwards or backwards,” says O’Hara.
Michelle Dennis says she makes sure to secure her children.
“Very important to keep them safe. I go behind them-I let them buckle themselves in their booster seats but I go behind them to make sure it’s safety latched,” says Dennis.
Police say look at your car manual and your car seat manual for instructions.
“The car seat manufacturer designs the car seat to protect the child. The car manufacturer designs their car to meet the guidelines that are set-the federal guidelines for what car seats for what car seats have to be installed by,” says O’ Hara.
There’s also another potential deadly mistake.
Leaving their kids in the car. That’s one thing that happens a lot. Even with animals and stuff. They leave them in the car, they have heat strokes and say “I don’t know why my kid died,” says JoJo Stalions.
“As parents it’s our responsibility to make sure our kids are safe.” says O’Hara.
To learn more about properly securing children in vehicles you can visit CPS Alabama at www.cpsalabama.org. or https://www.safercar.gov/parents/
