Child Passenger Safety Week -- 9/12-18 -- Clinic & Inspections 9/12 in Whitestown

Town of Whitestown Police Department Urges Parents and Caregivers to Get Their Child Safety Seats Inspected.

Motor vehicle crashes, similar to the tragic incidents that have recently occurred in our area, are the leading cause of death for children age 3 to 6 and 8 to 14.  In 2007, 6,532 passenger vehicle occupants 14 and younger were involved in fatal crashes.  That is why the Whitestown Police Department is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the "National Seat Check Saturday" event on Saturday, September 12, 2009.  As part of Child Passenger Safety Week the Town of Whitestown Police Department will have certified technicians available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 10 am to 3 pm at the Whitestown Police Department, located at 8539 Clark Mills Rd.  The Whitestown Police Department employees three Certified Child Passenger Safety Seat Technicians.  Officer Frank McCully can be reached at fmccully@whitestown.net, Officer Tim Barone can be reached at tbarone@whitestown.netand Officer Shawn Occhipinti can be reached a socchipinti@whitestown.net.  Anyone with questions about Child Seats, or with questions about the upcoming event, are strongly urged to contact one of the above Officers.

"It's the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained -- every trip, every time," said Officer Frank McCully of the Whitestown Police Department.  "We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected.  When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.:

In 2007, among children under 5, an estimated 358 lives were saved from the use of child safety seats and booster seats.  If all children under the age of 5 were restrained, and additional 71 children would have been saved.

For maximum child passenger safety, Officer McCully said parents and caregivers would refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:

1. For the best possible protection keep infants i the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat.  At a minimum keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least 1 year and 20 pounds) they should ride in forwarding-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach he upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3. Once children have outgrown their forward-facing seats (usually 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 at age 8 or when they are 4'9" tall).
4. When Children have outgrown their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4'9" tall) they can us the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).

Remember:  All children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.

For more information of Child Passenger Safety Week, a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children, please visit www.hntsa.gov/cps