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ASHLAND FIRE & RESCUE DOES NOT INSTALL CHILD SAFETY SEATS OR HAVE CHILD SAFETY SEATS AVAILABLE TO GIVE OUT
Motor vehicle crashes are one of the primary causes of death and injury to children four years of age and younger. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has concluded that safety seats are 71% effective in preventing fatalities, 67% effective in reducing the need for hospitalization and 50% effective in preventing minor injury.
If you transport children under the age of five in your car, you should ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does your child ride in the back seat?
2. Does your child ride facing the right way?
3. Does the safety belt hold the seat tightly in place?
4. Is the harness buckled snugly around your child?
5. Does your child over 40 pounds have the best protection possible?
How should a safety belt fit an older child?
The child must be tall enough to sit without slouching, with knees bent at the edge of the seat. The lap belt must fit low and snug across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should fit over the shoulder and across the chest. Never put the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back.
Never use a booster seat with only a lap belt! Although two shoulder belts have been required in vehicle back seats since 1989, many families have cars with lap-only belts in the center or older cars with no rear shoulder belts.
Links
http://www.childsafetyseat.org/boosterSeats.html
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