Officials Say Check Car Seats

according to safe ride 4 kids – a local organization dedicated to car safety for children-they say using a car seat incorrectly — can triple the risk of serious injury in a crash. which is why — during this time car safety technicians are urging parents to avoid making mistakes when it comes to the installation of their child’s seat and their overall safety. 47 abc’s lissette nunez has that story. track 1 according to the c-d-c, motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of deaths among children in the united states. and safety officials are urging parents to consider checking their children’s car seat. detective joey melvin – a trained car seat technician from the georgetown police department – tells us a lot of mistakes start from not reading the manufacturer’s manual. detective joey melvin, school resource officer, georgetown police department “we ask to see the owner’s manual because every owner’s manual gives guidelines on how the seats can be set up in there.” track 2 detective melvin tells 47 abc every seat and manufacturer has a different weight and height limit– and it’s something parents should really pay attention to. he adds this can help parents avoid a really common mistake of switching from rr facing the rear to the front too early. detective joey melvin, school resource officer, georgetown police department “it always seems to be rushed by parents, likely for convenience, but they don’t realize how much safer their children are rear facing.” track 3 once they are in the correct car seat – detective melvin says to make sure they are properly harnessed. one of rule of thumb he says – is having the harness lay like suspenders that are tight enough to allow one finger underneath. and if you’re debating if a child is ready to leave their booster seat behind – melvin recommends checking where the seat belt hits. detective joey melvin, school resource officer, georgetown police department “you can tell a child has been moved on too soon if that belt is cutting into their neck and that will not be efficient during a collision, because there is a good chance a child can slip out or cause more injuries.” track 4 lissette nunez 47 abc. detective melvin also recommends registering the car seat