Blue Ridge (GA) – When is a child's car safety seat not safe? It is never safe when it is improperly used, according to Debra Thomas of the Fannin County Health Department.
She is ensuring car safety seats for children are installed and used correctly.
Thomas has been trained as a certified child safety seat technician through the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant, funded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.1
Since 2007, at least 283 children in Georgia who were involved in crashes were saved from serious injury or death by car seats, booster seats, and education provided through the Mini-Grant.
“Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children and it’s up to all of us to do everything we can to protect our children on the road,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Buckling up our children is the best way to save lives and reduce injuries.”
Thomas has been working with community partners such as the Fannin County Fire Department to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use child car safety seats, offer child car seat inspections and provide car seats and booster seats to financially eligible families. Through the Child Passenger Safety Mini-Grant, the Fannin County Health Department is one of more than 135 counties working with community partners to keep Georgia’s children safely buckled up right, every trip, every time.
Thomas said, “When correctly installed and used, child car safety seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent in infants and 54 percent in toddlers, according to CDC’s Injury and Prevention and Control division.”2
As part of her job, Thomas provides child car safety seat checks at the health department as well as at partner-sponsored safety events in Fannin County and surrounding areas.“Most people think they use their child car seats correctly,” said Thomas. “But actual car seat inspections show that 80 to 90 percent are installed or used incorrectly.”
She said reasons for this confusion range from unclear car seat instructions and vehicle owner manuals to the fact there is such a wide variety of car seat designs, automobile seat belt systems and vehicle seat shapes and sizes.
As of July 1, 2011 in Georgia3, children under age 8 must be properly secured in an approved car seat or booster seat while riding in:
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- Passenger automobiles, vans, and pickup trucks.
- Exemptions – taxicabs and public transit vehicles
The car seat and/or booster seat must:
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- Be in the rear seat
- Be appropriate for the child’s weight and height
- Meet all U.S. Federal standards
- Be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions
More details and certain exemptions and exceptions to these laws exist (learn more at http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/seat-belt-laws/), so choosing, installing and using child car safety seats correctly can be complicated. Yet the consequences for not doing so can be heartbreakingly dire. Therefore, Thomas is encouraging anyone who transports children in their private vehicles at any time to make an appointment to have their child car safety seat and installation inspected right away. Inspections will be done at the Fannin County Health Department on Ouida Street in Blue Ridge. Call (706) 632-3023.
Thomas said, “Just a few minutes of your time for a child car safety seat inspection could mean the difference of a lifetime for your child.”
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1Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Counties Share Car Seat Mini Grant: http://dph.georgia.gov/press-releases/2015-01-09/georgia-counties-share-car-seat-mini-grant
2CDC Injury Prevention & Control: Motor Vehicle Safety: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html
3Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, O.C.G.A. § 40-8-76 Safety Belts Required As Equipment; Safety Restraints for Children Four Years of Age or Younger: http://www.gahighwaysafety.org/seat-belt-laws/