SACRAMENTO,
Calif. – Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in
the United States, and many of these tragedies could have been prevented. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will address
this issue with the assistance of a yearlong campaign to ensure children are
properly restrained while traveling California’s roadways.
The California
Restraint Safety Education and Training (CARSEAT) IV grant, which provides
funding through September 30, 2021, will enable the CHP to present seminars and
new parent classes to help reduce the number of deaths of unrestrained and
improperly restrained children involved in crashes.
“Passenger safety, especially when it comes to children,
is a primary concern for our Department,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley
said. “Using a correctly installed safety
seat that is suitable for the age and size of a child is the best way to keep
them safe.”
California law requires a child be properly secured in a safety
seat in the second row of a vehicle, when available, until they are at least 8
years of age. Children age 8 and older, who are at least 4 feet, 9 inches
in height, may ride in the back seat of a vehicle in a properly fitted safety
belt. Children under the age of 2 must ride rear-facing or until they
reach 40 pounds or 40 inches in height.
Contact the CHP Area office nearest
you for more information about child
passenger safety or to schedule a free safety seat inspection. During the pandemic, classes and seminars are
being conducted both online and in-person in accordance with California
Department of Public Health guidelines.
In
addition to educational efforts, the CHP will conduct enforcement operations
concentrating on occupant restraint violations throughout the year, with a
special emphasis during the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign, November
9-29, 2020.
Funding
for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic
Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The
mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and
Security.
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