Car safety seats inspected, parents instructed in use
Cindy Lou VanDevender

Parents lined up at Jasper City Hall last week for free car seat safety inspections where certified members of the police department and other agencies checked to be sure the seats were properly installed and met all current guidelines.

For those who could not attend, county extension agent Cindy Lou VanDevender has tips for anyone who transports a child under age 5 or 36 inches tall (state law re q u i re s they ride in an appro v e d safety seat):

Choosing a safety seat isn't as simple as going into a store and buying one, a c c o rding to Bev Kellner, extension program coord inator for passenger safety. The child's height, weight and age must also be taken into consideration.

The National Highway Tr a ffic Safety Administration's "Four Steps for Kids" lists four types of child safety seating by size and age:

Step 1: For the best possible protection keep babies in the back seat in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height and weight limits of that seat.

Step 2: When childre n outgrow their re a r- f a c i n g seats (minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats in the back seat until they reach the upper weight/height limit of that seat (usually age 4 and 40 pounds).

Newsboy photo/ Jimmy Galvan IF YOU MISSED the car safety seat inspection at Jasper City Hall last week, t h e re are a number of ways you can still have it inspected (for free!) and learn how to pro p e r ly buckle up your child.

Step 3: Once children outg row their forward - f a c i n g seat, they should ride in booster seats in the back seat until the vehicle safety belts fit properly (when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest- usually age 8 or four foot nine inches tall).

Step 4: When childre n outgrow their booster seats, they can use the adult safety belt in the back seat.

P a rents and care g i v e r s who want to check if the seat is installed properly, up to date, and that they are putting the child in correctly can make an appointment for a free inspection with Patricia Eifert in Jasper at 384-5493 or call 1-866- SEATCHECK for other locations.

P roper use of a child's safety seat is not as easy as it sounds.

"Nationally the misuse rate of child safety seats is reported as 85 percent," Kellner said.

That's why certified technicians are available to help make sure young Texans ride safely, she said.

Cindy Lou VanDevender is the Jasper County extension agent for family and consumer sciences. She is located in the courthouse annex on East Lamar and can be reached at 384-3721.