KING COUNTY, WA - As part of national Operation ABC (America Buckles up Children) Mobilization during November 19-25, Public Health - Seattle & King County is encouraging all parents to significantly reduce the risk of an injury or fatal crash by restraining children in an age-appropriate child safety seat.
"Due to their size, weight and other factors, children are particularly vulnerable during a crash. So please, let's have them correctly restrained in cars. Let's buckle up," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
According to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 4 and 8.
"All children need to be buckled up and placed in the back seat of automobiles, where it's safest," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "Also, we need to make sure that child safety seats are properly installed and that children are placed in age-appropriate restraints, like car seats and booster seats."
To reduce the risk of injury to a child:
- Infants should be placed in rear-facing child safety seats until they are at least 1 year old and weigh 20 pounds.
- Older children, up to 40 pounds, are safest in forward facing convertible child safety seats.
- School-aged children who have outgrown convertible child safety seats should be placed in a booster seat until they fit in a car safety belt alone. Starting next year, booster seats will be required by state law for some groups of children.
- All children 12 years of age and under should be placed in the back seat of vehicles. This eliminates the injury risk if airbags deploy and places the child in the safest part of the vehicle during a crash. Riding in the back seat can lower the risk of fatal injury by over 30%.
"A properly-installed child safety seat will greatly reduce the risk of injury in a crash. Child safety seats reduce fatal injury in passenger vehicles by over 70% for infants and by over 50% for toddlers," said Alan Abe, Injury Prevention Manager at Public Health's Emergency Medical Services.
Report cars with children who aren't buckled up
"To help encourage those parents who don't have children properly restrained, citizens of our state may call to report an unbuckled child riding in a motor vehicle," said Kathryn Kruger, Executive Director of the Washington State Safety Restraint Coalition.
"Please call 1-800-BUCKLUP, and provide the date, vehicle description and license plate number. The owner of the vehicle will receive a reminder letter of the law and educational information from the Washington State Patrol and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission."
You may also call 1-800-BUCKLUP to receive a free child growth chart and a $10 off coupon for a booster seat.
New law will require booster seats
Washington State passed the first law in the country, dubbed Anton's Law, that requires the use of booster seats starting July 1, 2002.
According to the new law, children must ride in a booster seat from 4 years or 40 pounds until they are 6 years or 60 pounds. Though not required by law, it is recommended that children use booster seats until they are at least 8 years old and weigh 80 pounds.
What is a booster seat? A booster seat is for kids who have outgrown a child safety seat, but are not ready for an adult seat belt. The booster seat raises a child so the car's seat belt fits properly, avoiding the risk of serious neck and abdominal injury linked to adult seat belts and crashes.
Seat belts and child safety seats restrain occupants inside the vehicle during a crash, preventing them from being ejected and from hitting the inside of the vehicle and other occupants.
For more information on booster seats, please visit:
For more information on the Operation ABC Mobilization from November 19-25, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.gov
