LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission (GTSAC) and the National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration are reminding Michigan citizens that Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Awareness Week is September 20-26.
According to officials, CPS Awareness Week highlights the importance of ensuring that all children are properly secured in an appropriate car seat or seatbelt. A child’s age, weight, and height can all play a factor when determining proper safety harnesses, so it’s important to keep up-to-date with all current regulations and suggestions.
Under the current global pandemic, many agencies are choosing to forego the traditional in-person inspection events. However, there are still many ways we as technicians, parents, and caregivers can take part in CPS week.
- Attend a virtual seat check—this is an alternative to a face-to-face inspection and can still help caregivers ensure they are staying current with all safety recommendations.
- Talk about CPS Awareness week on social media—highlight CPS on your social media accounts and spread the word. You might very well save the life of a child.
- Donate a car seat– Before parents can even bring their newborn home from the hospital, they need to have a car seat ready to go. Consider donating a new one to a local charity in order to help families in need or point them in the direction of a certified CPS car seat technician to obtain one.
“Traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death nationwide among children. Car seats and boosters can prevent many of those fatalities and injuries,” director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) Michael L. Prince said in a statement. “Older children are more at risk as car seat use goes down despite booster seats being less expensive and easier to use than car seats for younger children.”
Prince adds that nearly half of car seats are misused. Statewide inspections of child restraint device (CRD) use in Michigan during 2018 found that only 20 percent of CRDs were correctly utilized.
“Every day, parents and caregivers travel with children in their vehicles. While some youngsters are properly buckled in the correct car seats for their ages and sizes, many are not – if they are buckled up at all,” Prince said. “We are working to raise awareness and change behavior. Everyone needs to help keep children safe.”
More information about Child Passenger Safety can be found through the State of Michigan at this link.
Comments