Lookout For Your Health Topic: GROWING UP BUCKLED UP IN NORTH CAROLINA Guest: Bill Hall, Manager Occupant Protection Program UNC Highway Research Center, Chapel Hill Telephone: Guest: Stuart Jones, NC Department of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshall, Raleigh Telephone:

Protecting Children in Crashes The restraint used must be right for the size and age of the child The child must be buckled correctly into the restraint The restraint must be correctly installed in the vehicle

Rear-Facing Only Seats For infants from birth up to about 20 pounds Only face rear of car Recline at about 45 degrees Harness straps usually in lowest slots or at or below infant’s shoulders Infant’s head should be no closer than 1 from the top of the car seat

Convertible Seats For From birth up to 40 pounds (A few go higher) Use rear facing up to upper rear-facing weight limit Harness straps usually at or below child’s shoulders Forward facing for children over 1 year old

Booster Seats Belt-positioning boosters Raises child to make adult lap and shoulder belts fit properly For children from pounds up to pounds Use ONLY with lap & shoulder belt NEVER with lap belt alone Styles include high-back and backless

Combination Seats Forward facing only Installed like other harness restraints for children 20 to 40 pounds Remove harness when child is 40 pounds (usually) & use as belt-positioning booster with lap and shoulder belt

Seat Belts "5-Step Test" To see if a child is big enough to ride in a lap and shoulder belt combination: 1.Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? 2.Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat? 3.Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm? 4.Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? 5.Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car. Most children do not fit in lap and shoulder belts until at least 80 pounds, usually about 8 years old

How Tightly Should a Child Restraint Be Installed? To check for a tight fit, –Grasp shell of restraint at the belt path –Pull restraint forward and push it from side to side –Too loose if base of restraint moves more than an inch in any direction To install tightly, push restraint down into the seat cushion while tightening the belt around it. The lap belt in the middle of the back seat may work best to keep a child restraint in place.

The LATCH System September, 2002 Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children Designed to make installation of safety seats EASIER Attachments on restraints hook into anchors built into vehicle Top tether strap is hooked to an anchor on the rear shelf area or on the rear floor

NC Occupant Restraint Laws NC Has three occupant restraint laws. Basic requirements, as of January 1, 2005, are that.. –All drivers and front seat passengers must buckled up. –All children less than 16 must be buckled up in front or back seat. –Children younger than age 8 and less than 40 pounds must be in a child restraint (CR). Booster seats are considered CRs –The CR for children less than age 5 and 40 pounds must be installed in the rear seat in vehicles with active passenger-side air bags.

NC Occupant Restraint Laws Basic requirements continued: –Correctly fitted seat belt may be used when child reaches age 8 or 80 pounds, whichever comes first. Placing the shoulder belt under a child’s (or adult’s) arm or behind the back is dangerous and is illegal. –Children less than age 12 are prohibited from riding in the open bed of a pickup truck or other cargo area. Drivers are responsible for obeying these laws. Penalties for child restraint violation: –2 driver license points –$25 fine plus $100 court costs Rewards: Maximum safety and PEACE OF MIND!

Car Seat Information Resources UNC Highway Safety Research Center – or NC Department of Insurance - Office of State Fire Marshal – or NC Governor's Highway Safety Program – or