Child Passenger Safety Awareness
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) issued a press release announcing their campaign for Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs from September 19th through September 25th. During that period, the agency will work to educate the public on how important it is to ensure that young vehicle passengers are secured in a properly installed and fitted child safety seat.
Statistics from the NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which keeps statistics on traffic safety issues within the United States, reveals that vehicle collisions are the top cause of death for kids aged 1 to 13. Last year in California, 90 children aged 13 and under were killed in car crashes. According to the NHTSA, most parents and other caregivers feel confident that they have installed their children’s safety seats correctly, however, when seat checks are performed, on average, nearly half (46 percent) are found to be incorrectly installed.
California Law on Child Safety Seats
The law in California requires that all children under two or that weigh less than 40 pounds/are less than 40 inches tall, ride in a car seat that faces the rear of the vehicle. Children younger than 8 are required to ride in the back seat in an age- and/or size-appropriate safety seat. Safety experts agree that kids should ride in the back seat until they are at least 13 years of age. The CHP maintains a webpage with information about safety for child passengers, which can be viewed here.
CHP Events During Child Passenger Safety Week
The CHP will be hosting child safety seat events over the course of the week. Each event will have safety technicians available to provide free inspections of your safety seats, along with hands-on training for parents and other caregivers. The events will also focus on educating the public on the importance of child passenger safety because proper installation and fitting can make the difference between life and death.
The CHP would like everyone to know that free safety seat inspections are available by appointment year-round, at CHP area offices. This is a wonderful resource for new parents who may feel unsure about the proper way to install the infant seat. To make an appointment, find the area office nearest you, which can be found here. There are also other places in Butte County where your car seat can be checked.
Program Funding Through OTS
The funding for the Child Passenger Safety Week events is through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Watch the YouTube video. Below is a news clip from CBS reporting on a prior year’s events.
Oroville Personal Injury Lawyer
Hello. Thanks for reading our blog and our piece on Child Passenger Safety Week. I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury attorney serving residents of Oroville, California. For more than 38 years, our injury attorneys have advocated for people who have been injured due to the carelessness, recklessness, and negligence of another. When a person is severely injured in an accident, their physical recovery should be the main focus. Often there are legal matters that arise after such an incident, and hiring a skilled attorney can let you focus your energies on healing. If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident caused by another motorist, call our office to receive free and friendly advice. Our phone number is (530) 392-9400. We also provide a toll-free line for those calling from other parts of Northern California: (800) 404-5400.
The links below provide additional information about our services, such as case results and client reviews:
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