Friday, May 20, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Officers teach child auto safety By LEE WILLIAMS Dont know how to install a child safety seat? Hundreds of parents got a crash course from several Peachtree City police officers who are charged with ensuring children are buckled up properly. After setting up a check point at Saint Andrews in the Pines Episcopal Church on Peachtree Parkway, the officers drove to Starrs Mill Academy on Ga. Highway 74 South to conduct more child safety seat installation demonstrations, as part of a city-wide effort geared to educate parents and keep children safe. Police said the event with off without a hitch. "Over the last couple of months, weve been going to different academies, schools, after school programs, trying to educate parents on the importance of car seats, seat belts and the proper installation of car seats," Peachtree City police Officer Cpl. Vicki Sanchez said Wednesday at Starrs Mill Academy. A number of agencies have been working to spread the word about the importance of child safety seats by providing classes on how to install them, but still many parents struggle with the issue. Sanchez indicated she is amazed by the number of parents who are uncertain about installing child safety seats. "On a normal day like at a school this size, probably 95 percent of the car seats are installed incorrect," Sanchez said. New child safety seats come with instructions on how to install the item, but many parents choose to go it alone. "A lot of people dont read the instructions properly," Sanchez said. "They just figure its a car seat. I can figure it out, and they put it in and its in there, but its not in there properly." But, not installing the car seat properly could put a child at risk. Martha Norris of Meriwether County was among a bevy of parents who got a brief demonstration from the police officers. She said welcomed the officers help. "My husband is a police officer, too," Norris said while officers Cpl. Chris Robison and Cpl. Jay Hughes readjusted her car safety seat. "He puts them in, but you have to take them out. Its hard to get them right, so I dont mind them showing me." Installing the car seat correctly is indeed a challenge, but installing it correctly is only half the battle. Parents also must know when there child should be in a car seat, when they are ready for a booster seat and when the child has outgrown the seat altogether. "An infant carrier is for babies from newborns to 1 years of age up to 20 pounds," Sanchez said. "But, the new law stipulates that they have to be up to 20 pounds and 1 years of age before they are allowed to ride in a convertible seat, which is basically the regular car seat." A car seat should be placed in the back seat facing the rear and fastened with the five-point harness. Once a child reaches 40 pounds, then its time to move to the booster seat. "Once they turn 6, then they can come out of the booster seat," Sanchez said. "We recommend keeping them in the booster seat as long as they can get in them. Even if they are older than 6, they still need to be in booster seats." Another factor that is often overlooked is at what age should a child ride in the front seat. It might not be as soon as one might suspect. "Children should not sit in the front until the age of 12," Sanchez said. Ramelle Dinofer, who owns Starrs Mill Academy with her husband, Glenn, said she was grateful the officers conducted the much-needed demonstrations. "We are just so excited to have the wonderful Peachtree City Police Department out here to ensure that all our families car seats are the right size and the right model for the child and that the child is buckled in correctly just to ensure that everybody is being transported to and from the school the safest way possible," Dinofer said. "We just appreciate them so much for coming out here taking the time to do that with us."
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