Safe Kids safety seat check-ups help parents learn about new booster seat law goes into effect July 1
Measure will enhance safety of children
On July 1, the day a new booster seat law takes effect in Kansas, Safe Kids is sponsoring child safety seat check-ups and booster seat distributions around the state to highlight the importance of properly restraining children on every ride.
Nationally certified child passenger safety technicians at check-up events throughout Kansas will provide car seat inspections on a drop-in basis. The inspections are free and over 500 booster seats will be distributed at the events.
"This is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to get free, individualized, hands-on training in the proper installation and setup of their own seats in their own vehicles," said KNEA President Christy Levings.
These events are being held to provide parents with the information that they need to comply with the new law and to keep their kids safe.
When securing children in a booster seat, drivers should make sure the shoulder belt is snug across the chest and rests flat across the center of the collarbone. The shoulder belt should never be placed behind a child's back or under the arm. For additional information on how to properly secure children in booster seats, visit www.kansasboosterseat.org.
The new Booster Seat Law takes effect July 1, 2006. The new law requires that children ages 4 - 7 ride in a booster seat instead of an adult seat belt unless the child weighs more than 80 pounds, or the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches, or only a lap belt is available.
The new Kansas law requires that
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Children be secured in an appropriate child passenger safety restraint.
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Children under 1 year old and 20 pounds must ride in a rear-facing child seat.
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Children 1, 2 and 3 must be properly restrained in a forward-facing child seat.
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Children 4, 5, 6 and 7 must ride in a booster seat unless the child weighs more than 80 pounds or the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
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Children ages 8 through 13 must be protected by a safety belt.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the 4 through 7 age range, and booster seats used properly with safety belts have been proven more effective than safety belts alone at reducing the risk of injury to children involved in a crash. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in June 2003 concluded that children ages 4 through 7 using booster seats were 59 percent less likely to be injured in a crash than children who were restrained only by an adult safety belt.
Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marion, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as well as the cities of Chanute, Emporia, Leaven-worth, Norton, Pittsburg, the Wichita Area and the Metro Kansas City Area. Safe Kids Kansas a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.
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