Fayette deputies lauded for child safety seat work

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department received a statewide award from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Friday morning at the State Capitol.

The department was given the Law Enforcement Leadership Award for its “tireless work in the field for Child Passenger Safety,” according to Robert F. Dallas, director of the office of highway safety.

Sheriff Randall Johnson received the award along with members of the department’s traffic enforcement unit.

The department has deputies available 24 hours a day to inspect child safety seats upon request.

“We have a lot of people coming in nowadays,” to take advantage of the service, Johnson said.

Experts say this is crucial because of the high rate of child safety seats that are installed incorrectly. Manufacturer’s instructions can be complicated, and other confusing factors include the type of safety belt used in the vehicle the seat is installed in.

Before Johnson received the award, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation making February Child Passenger Safety Month in Georgia.

The campaign, called “Secure Your Love,” is designed to remind adults to safely secure children in safety car seats and booster seats from birth through six years old. Properly installed, such equipment can prevent and minimize injuries to children in auto crashes.

Child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury for infants by 69 percent and by 47 percent for toddlers involved in motor vehicle crashes.

Children who are ejected during a vehicle crash are four times more likely to be killed by injuries after the ejection or by the vehicle rolling over them, officials said.