CHP provides crash course on car seat safety

April 18--VICTORVILLE -- For most parents, the safety of their children while in a car is extremely important, but the measures needed to ensure that safety can be difficult to learn -- and local law enforcement officials aim to change that.

The California Highway Patrol often hosts car seat installation days that teach parents and parents-to-be everything they need to know about car seat safety. CHP officers give parents hands-on lessons on how to properly install a car seat in their vehicles, something Victorville CHP Officer Matt Hunt said can be more difficult than most people believe.

"There's lots of information about car seats and car seat safety that most people don't know about," Hunt told the Daily Press. "As a young parent, I thought I knew everything. I thought I would be able to handle it just fine on my own. Then I started doing it, and I realized there was a lot more to it than I thought."

According to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, deaths of children younger than 13 in crashes have declined significantly since 1975, but crashes still cause one of every four unintentional injury deaths.

Most crash deaths occur among children traveling as passenger vehicle occupants, and proper restraint use can reduce these deaths. The IIHS said restraining children in rear seats instead of front seats reduces fatal injury risk by about three-quarters for children up to age 3, and almost half for children ages 4 to 8.

Under California law, children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle. Effective Jan. 1, 2017, children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall, according to the CHP.

Hunt said many parents or expectant parents are often unaware of these laws or the basic installation measures needed to ensure that a car seat is the safest place for a child to be during a car crash.

"Many people believe that once a child reaches a certain age, they don't need a car seat and can just use the seat belt," Hunt said. He cited a recent crash in which a 2-year-old girl was ejected from a vehicle during a rollover crash and died. The crash is still under investigation and officials said the use of seatbelts and restraints would be looked into.

Hunt said incidents like those are the reason why the CHP invests time in helping parents learn the importance of car seat safety and proper installation. The Daily Press recently joined the CHP during one of their car seat installation days at the Victorville office.

Volunteers with the Rose of Sharon Pregnancy Resource Center were on hand to help, as many of the parents receiving lessons on Friday were graduates of their parenting class program and had recently received a car seat they wanted to learn about.

Rose of Sharon volunteer Laura Foss told the Daily Press the center focuses on helping families and children 3 years old and younger with whatever they may need to provide for their children.

"Our parenting classes for pregnant women cover everything the woman may need to learn until she has the baby," Foss said. "This includes breastfeeding, diaper changing, bottle feeding and any questions they may ask."

The classes consist of a six-week long program and classes are available both mornings and evenings. Speakers from local hospitals frequently attend to answer any medical questions, and one of the of last classes specifically focuses on car seat safety. Graduates of the program receive a free car seat donated by Graco.

Foss said everything provided by the nonprofit organization is free of charge to High Desert residents in need.

"All we need is a driver's license and something with the child's name, if they have children," Foss said. "Families can come once a month and get anything they need -- diapers, clothing, food or formula. If we can't help them, we refer and make phone calls to get them the help they need."

The Rose of Sharon center is supported by donations from the community and local businesses, Foss said. Any and all donations are accepted, except for used car seats.

Hunt said many people are often unaware that a used car seat cannot be resold or reused. He said a car seat that has been in a crash, even minor, must be replaced.

"Usually, insurance providers will provide a new car seat in the event of a crash," Hunt said.

These and other car seat tips are provided during a car seat installation day by certified CHP car seat technicians. Hunt said parents can contact the CHP to make an appointment, where they will get their car seat safely installed and get a crash course on car seat safety.

During the car seat installation day on Friday, several expectant mothers and parents with small children were taught how to properly install their car seats. Hunt himself handled all car seat installations, and spoke to every person about safety, something which he said is his passion.

"It's important to me that people learn everything they can about these car seats," Hunt said. "When it comes to children, safety is essential. I think we all want our children to be safe, and I'm happy to do whatever it takes to make sure kids are as safe as possible while in a car."

Residents can contact the Victorville CHP office at 760-241-1186 to schedule an appointment for car seat installation.

For more information on the Rose of Sharon Pregnancy Resource Center, contact 760-243-5006 or email at roseforlife.live.com.

Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.

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