News - pcgazette.com

News

Point family knows value of child safety seats

By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
Don't forget about booster seats when it comes to safely buckling up children in cars, safety advocates advise.

Another person who will make that recommendation is Kim Sorenson of Stevens Point, who found out firsthand the value of keeping children properly restrained after another car ran a red light and struck her Ford Escort in Wisconsin Rapids last November.

Sorenson's two sons, Joshua, 3, and Justin, 5, were in the backseat of the car during the accident. Justin was restrained in a booster seat and Joshua in a child seat. She was wearing a seatbelt. The other car hit the front passenger side of her vehicle.

"I had a fractured sternum ... but the boys were totally fine," Sorenson said. After the accident, the child seat and booster seat had to be replaced.

"The thing is a lot of people don't know that child seats have to be replaced after an accident," Sorenson said. "It's surprising to people when I say that."

Justin's booster seat had been a present.

"It was just really no question (about using the booster) and he's so good about sitting in it," Sorenson said. Occasionally Sorenson, like other people, will see cars on the road with children who aren't buckled up in car seats.

"I get very frustrated, not with the children, but with the parents because the whole car seat thing is so simple," Sorenson said. It only takes a few minutes to install a car seat, and if money is an issue about getting a seat, child seats are available through the Portage County Child Passenger Safety Association (PCCPSA), she said.

State law requires all children under the age of 4 must be restrained in a child car seat and children between the ages of 4 and 8 must be restrained in the vehicle safety belt or car safety seat.

"The seatbelts in your car are really meant for adults, so they really don't fit a child in your car," said Joan Belmas of the PCCPSA, which is a United Way agency. Using a booster seat will raise a child up so the seat belt fits. The Child Passenger Safety Association wants to get the word out on booster seat use, especially during National Child Passenger Safety Week from Sunday, Feb. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 16.

"Right now we're seeing there's a gap in the use of booster seats," said Patti Dickey, also of the PCCPSA. "By law (children between 4 and 8) don't have to be in booster seats, but the recommendation is they should be."

Child safety experts offer a five-step test for parents to determine if their children should use booster seats. If a child isn't using a booster seat, does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat? Is the lap belt below the tummy, touching the thighs? Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest? Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

Any "no" answers to these question means the child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car. Riding in a booster is also more comfortable.
Protecting children through the use of child safety seats is a four-step process. Step 1 is to use rear-facing infant seats from birth until the child is at least 1 year old and weighs more than 20 pounds. Step 2 is using forward-facing child safety seats from age 1 to about age 4 and between 20 to 40 pounds. Step 3 is using booster seats from age 4 to at least age 8 and under 4 feet 9 inches tall. Step 4 is using just the vehicle safety belts, but not until the child is 8 years old or older and taller than 4 feet 9 inches.

Anyone installing a car seat should be sure to check both the instruction booklet for the seat and the car owners manual.

"We do anywhere between 200 and 300 car seat installations a year and we see about 95 percent installed wrong," Dickey said. "Some of those (installation errors) are minor, but some of those are serious."

Harness straps being in the wrong position or too loose are the most common problems, Dickey said.

Other common problems include incompatibility with the car's seatbelt system and having infant seats set at too steep of an incline, Belmas said.

A concern with children under the age of 6 months is bundling them up with heavy snow suits. "Before that time a baby's shoulder and neck muscles are not fully developed, and heavy layers of clothing make it difficult to correctly position the safety seat harness straps," according to the Wisconsin SAFE KIDS Coalition.

Belmas and Dickey advise putting blankets over children under 6 months old after they are buckled in or using an insulated car seat cover.

Parents aren't the only ones who use car seats. Grandparents also transport children a lot, so they should consider getting child car seats. Swapping a car seat between the parent's car and grandparent's cars doesn't always work because the seat may be installed improperly, Belmas said.

"We have a large number of grandparents that rent seats from us," Dickey said. "They can do it for a short term or a long term."

For more information on the proper use and installation of child car seats and booster seats, contact the Portage County Child Passenger Safety Association at 341-SEAT (7328).



	Point family knows value of child safety seats By BRIAN LEAHY of The Gazette Don't forget about booster seats when it comes to safely buckling up children in cars, safety advocates advise. Another person who will make that recommendation is Kim Sorenson of Stevens Point, who found out firsthand the value of keeping children properly restrained after another car ran a red light and struck her Ford Escort in Wisconsin Rapids last November. Sorenson's two sons, Joshua, 3, and Justin, 5, were in the backseat of the car during the accident. Justin was restrained in a booster seat and Joshua in a child seat. She was wearing a seatbelt. The other car hit the front passenger side of her vehicle. "I had a fractured sternum ... but the boys were totally fine," Sorenson said. After the accident, the child seat and booster seat had to be replaced. "The thing is a lot of people don't know that child seats have to be replaced after an accident," Sorenson said. "It's surprising to people when I say that." Justin's booster seat had been a present. "It was just really no question (about using the booster) and he's so good about sitting in it," Sorenson said. Occasionally Sorenson, like other people, will see cars on the road with children who aren't buckled up in car seats. "I get very frustrated, not with the children, but with the parents because the whole car seat thing is so simple," Sorenson said. It only takes a few minutes to install a car seat, and if money is an issue about getting a seat, child seats are available through the Portage County Child Passenger Safety Association (PCCPSA), she said. State law requires all children under the age of 4 must be restrained in a child car seat and children between the ages of 4 and 8 must be restrained in the vehicle safety belt or car safety seat. "The seatbelts in your car are really meant for adults, so they really don't fit a child in your car," said Joan Belmas of the PCCPSA, which is a United Way agency. Using a booster seat will raise a child up so the seat belt fits. The Child Passenger Safety Association wants to get the word out on booster seat use, especially during National Child Passenger Safety Week from Sunday, Feb. 10, through Saturday, Feb. 16. "Right now we're seeing there's a gap in the use of booster seats," said Patti Dickey, also of the PCCPSA. "By law (children between 4 and 8) don't have to be in booster seats, but the recommendation is they should be." Child safety experts offer a five-step test for parents to determine if their children should use booster seats. If a child isn't using a booster seat, does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat? Is the lap belt below the tummy, touching the thighs? Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest? Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? Any "no" answers to these question means the child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car. Riding in a booster is also more comfortable. Protecting children through the use of child safety seats is a four-step process. Step 1 is to use rear-facing infant seats from birth until the child is at least 1 year old and weighs more than 20 pounds. Step 2 is using forward-facing child safety seats from age 1 to about age 4 and between 20 to 40 pounds. Step 3 is using booster seats from age 4 to at least age 8 and under 4 feet 9 inches tall. Step 4 is using just the vehicle safety belts, but not until the child is 8 years old or older and taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Anyone installing a car seat should be sure to check both the instruction booklet for the seat and the car owners manual. "We do anywhere between 200 and 300 car seat installations a year and we see about 95 percent installed wrong," Dickey said. "Some of those (installation errors) are minor, but some of those are serious." Harness straps being in the wrong position or too loose are the most common problems, Dickey said. Other common problems include incompatibility with the car's seatbelt system and having infant seats set at too steep of an incline, Belmas said. A concern with children under the age of 6 months is bundling them up with heavy snow suits. "Before that time a baby's shoulder and neck muscles are not fully developed, and heavy layers of clothing make it difficult to correctly position the safety seat harness straps," according to the Wisconsin SAFE KIDS Coalition. Belmas and Dickey advise putting blankets over children under 6 months old after they are buckled in or using an insulated car seat cover. Parents aren't the only ones who use car seats. Grandparents also transport children a lot, so they should consider getting child car seats. Swapping a car seat between the parent's car and grandparent's cars doesn't always work because the seat may be installed improperly, Belmas said. "We have a large number of grandparents that rent seats from us," Dickey said. "They can do it for a short term or a long term." For more information on the proper use and installation of child car seats and booster seats, contact the Portage County Child Passenger Safety Association at 341-SEAT (7328).