National Effort Focuses on Child Passenger Safety

Recently a car crash occurred in Burr Ridge. One vehicle rear-ended another, and the striking automobile held about five children, said Burr Ridge Police Deputy Chief Tim Vaclav. None of them were wearing seatbelts, or were held in boosters or car seats. Some of them complained about soreness, so, as a precaution, all were sent to the hospital.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) National Seat Check is being held today, Saturday. To find a child car seat inspection station near you, visit the NHTSA’s Web site. More information is also available at seatcheck.org.

The closest check sites to Burr Ridge are:

• Hinsdale Police Department, 121 Symonds Dr., 630-789-7070;
• Willowbrook Police Department, 7760 Quincy St., 630-325-2808.

Call for times. Today's event concludes National Child Passenger Safety Week, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The leading cause of death and disability for children in the United States is car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2007, 25 children and persons younger than 25 years old were killed each day in motor vehicle accidents.

Child safety seats decrease the risk of death by 50 percent to 70 percent, and positioning a child in the back seat decreases the risk of serious injury by 40 percent, according to the CDC. Children ages 12 or younger should always be buckled up and seated in the back seat of a car, the group states. Click here for more information.

“I think we need to continue to increase awareness about the imperativeness of car restraints,” said Dr. Karen Judy, a pediatrician and a professor of Pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. “Children, especially older kids, need to be reminded. Teenagers are a very high risk group, and need to be reminded.”

Setting an example, too, is key, Judy says. The CDC states that 40 percent of adults without seat belts have unrestrained passengers.

“[Also,] avoid buying used car seats,” Judy says. New owners are unaware of the history of the car seat.

Car seat guidelines are based on a child’s age and size, according to the NHTSA.

In the last six months, a large change in car seat recommendations was made, with evidence from the American Academy of Pediatrics showing that children should be seated in rear-facing car seats now up to age 2, rather than just up to age 1, Judy noted. “It was changed because it was thought that children were safer rear-facing,” she said.

Until they reach about age 4 and 40 pounds, children should ride in the back seat, in forward-facing car seats; and then, after they outgrow these seats, they should ride in booster seats in the back seat. This should last until the seat belts of the vehicle fit properly, states the CDC.

“Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belts fits across the chest,” the NHTSA said in a statement.

In addition to keeping their children facing the rear of the car until they reach 2 years old, adults should make sure that their car seats are correctly installed. “It’s not so easy,” Judy says.

“Every week is Passenger Safety Week in my house,” said parent Jenny Prengle. “It’s safety first.”

She has children ages 6, 7 and 9. Her oldest sits in a booster seat, and all three kids sit in the back seat to avoid any potential bruising from air bags, she says. “I think everyone should be doing it.”

Even when she travels, Prengle asks for car seats and a booster for her kids.

“Even when it’s somebody else’s car, it’s a no-brainer, for kids are a precious commodity. … Car seats to me are incredibly important,” she says. “I want my children to be buckled up.”