By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The second in a series of four sessions to help parents ensure that their child’s car seat has been safely installed is planned for July 22 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the East Windsor Township Police/Municipal Court building at 80 One Mile Road.
The free program, in which a nationally certified child passenger safety seat technician will check on the proper installation of the child safety seat, is being funded by a $6,000 grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, said Mayor Janice Mironov.
One session was held in June, and two more sessions – in addition to the July 22 session – are being planned. The third session will be held at the annual National Night Out on Aug. 1, and the final session is set for Sept. 14, Mayor Mironov said.
All of the sessions are free for East Windsor Township residents. It takes about 10 minutes for a technician to check on the child safety seat.
The goal of the program is to teach parents about how to properly secure children in the child safety seat, which is required by state law. The technician will make sure the child safety seat has been properly installed.
Under state law, children who are under 2 years old and who weigh less than 30 pounds must be in a rear-facing car seat with a five-point harness. Once the child reaches age 2 or exceeds 30 pounds, the car seat can be turned around to face forward.
Children who are at least 2 years old must remain in a car seat with a five-point harness until they reach age 4 or 40 pounds. Then, they can sit in a booster seat. They have to ride in the booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle until they reach 8 years old or 57 inches tall.
If the motor vehicle is a pickup truck or a sports car that lacks a rear seat, the car seat can be placed on the front seat – but the passenger-side airbag must be disabled if a baby or toddler is using a rear-facing car seat. Otherwise, a child can ride in the front seat in a car seat or booster seat.
Citing sources as varied as AAA and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Mayor Mironov said that car crashes are the top cause of death for children under 14 years old in the United States.
Properly installed child safety seats can prevent injuries and save lives, but four out of five child safety seats are not properly installed, she said, citing those sources.
Children who are restrained in a child safety seat have an 80-percent lower risk of fatal injury compared to those who are not restrained. The seats reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants, and by 45 percent for children ages 1-4.
"The proper use of child safety seats is one of the simplest and most effective means to protect young children passengers," Mayor Mironov said.
"This pro-active initiative is to focus publicly on the high value of using child safety seats and using them properly. Residents will be given literature offering tips on child safety in vehicles," she said.
Mayor Mironov is encouraging all residents who have child safety seats to attend one of the three remaining sessions – July 22, Aug. 1 and Sept. 14.
