|
Keep Your Most Precious Cargo Safe
HAMILTON - Often overlooked and for that reason a leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 14, child passenger safety means properly restraining children in a motor vehicle.
Safety organizations throughout the country including AAA Mid-Atlantic are reminding everyone who drive with a child passenger to be responsible. For maximum child passenger safety, follow these age, height and weight guidelines, which happen to be New Jersey law.
Infants up to 20 pounds and 1 year of age must be secured in the back seat of a motor vehicle in a federally approved rear facing infant or convertible car seat. Many newer convertible seats are approved for rear facing use up to 30 to 35 pounds.
Children between 20 and 40 pounds (applies to most children between 1 and 4 years old) must be secured in the back seat of a motor vehicle in a federally approved car seat with a five point harness system.
Children between 40 and 80 pounds (applies to most children between 4 and 8 years old) must be secured in the back seat of a motor vehicle in a federally approved booster seat using the lap and shoulder belt.
All passengers under 18 years of age (but older than 8 years old and weighing more than 80 pounds) are required to wear a seatbelt when riding anywhere in a motor vehicle. Children under 12 should ride in the back seat whenever possible.
AAA Mid-Atlantic is cooperating with the state of New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, which is targeting NJ's Latino community, with three days of child passenger safety training to reinforce these guidelines.
"More than 1,500 children are killed annually because of not being buckled into an age appropriate child safety seat, booster seat or seatbelt," said Ken Chrusz, manager of safety services at the organization's Foundation for Safety and Education. "Parents are caregivers: Use a properly installed and approved child safety seat in accordance with age and size."
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that proper use of child restraints have saved about 7,500 lives during the past 20 years.
| 
