child safety, menifee, temecula, lake elsinore

West Tow of Menifee cares for child safety while traveling this holiday season.  Unfortunately, as first responders, West Tow of Menifee California witness a lot of accidents, with children affected and injured. Preventing bad situations can be avoided by following simple safety guidelines. Children are most vulnerable, especially in a vehicle. Although there are clear regulations aimed towards the protection of kids in cars. Many California families don’t fully follow these laws.

Credible statistics in the United States show that car accidents are the major cause of death of children. In 2009 alone, 1,314 children below 14 years are victims of motor vehicle accidents with about 179,000 of these children being injured.

To ensure child safety while driving in the car, follow these guidelines:

  • Safety seats and belts.
  • Child safety seats are pivotal to ensuring the safety of children in moving cars.
    • Using seat belts alone is not a good enough precaution. The use of safety belts in combination with safety seats reduces the likelihood of injury by up to 82% and the risk of death by 28%.
  • California residents are required by law to use a federally approved passenger restraint system, taking into consideration their height and age.
  • Read AAA’s car seat guidelines.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following seatbelt and safety seat guidelines for children in a car;

  • Using car seats appropriately.
  • Installed car seats should be by the book.
  • Incorrect installation of car seats can result in fatal accidents.

Correct Installation of a Car Seat is Vital to Your Childs Saftey

Correctly installed car seats are highly effective in preventing injuries and death of children. Incorrect installation can make these safety measures ineffective and cause exactly what you are trying to prevent; injuries and death.

Fastening your child’s seatbelt may make you think your child is safe, however, overlooked proper installation of car seats can threaten the protection of the child.  A car seat should fit both the child and the car properly.

To Increase the Effectiveness of a Car Seat Consider These Tips:

  • Carefully read the installation manual:
    • Incorrect installation of safety seats for children usually begins by ignoring the manual. There are of course some obvious things that you can do without referring to the manual. If the manual is too thick, go through the table of contents and identify procedures that you are not confident in doing yourself.
  • Choose the correct location for the car seat:
    • Parents at times place a child’s seat in the wrong location.  This can contribute to injuries if an accident occurs. Experts recommend installing a booster seat in the middle of the back seat of the car. It is safer as it keeps the child from knocking against the sides of the vehicle during a crash.
  • Strap your child properly in their car seat:
    • Now that your seat has been installed correctly and in the right location, it is time to ensure that your baby is strapped in the seat properly.

The safety of your child is of paramount importance. Risk of injury to your child is reduced or eliminated by following California Laws. Parents and loved ones need to properly install car seats and booster seats.