SACRAMENTO,
Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is renewing its efforts to ensure
children are safely secured while traveling California’s roadways. The CHP has partnered with the California
Office of Traffic Safety to implement the California Restraint Safety Education
and Training (CARSEAT) III campaign.
The
CARSEAT III campaign will run for one year and focus on reducing the number of
unrestrained and improperly restrained children killed in traffic collisions
throughout California. To accomplish
this goal, the CHP will host educational seminars, classes, and child safety
seat inspections. These efforts will
highlight the importance of child passenger restraint and seat belt usage, and
provide education related to the proper installation of child passenger safety
seats.
California
law requires a child be properly restrained in an appropriate child safety seat
in the rear seat of a vehicle until they are at least eight years of age. Children age eight and older, who are at
least four feet nine inches, may ride in the rear seat of a vehicle in a
properly fitted seat belt. Children
under the age of two must ride in a rear-facing child safety seat until they
reach 40 pounds or 40 inches in height.
For the best protection, all children should ride rear-facing as long as
possible, until they reach the upper weight and height limits of their car
seat.
“Making
sure everyone in your vehicle is buckled up in an appropriate car seat for
their age and size is the easiest way to prevent serious injury or even death
in the event of a crash,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. The Commissioner also encourages drivers to set
an example by buckling up for every trip, no matter how short. “The goal of this campaign is to educate
parents and caregivers to ensure all children and adults in California are
using car seats and seat belts for every trip.”
According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, child passenger safety
seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54
percent for toddlers in passenger cars.
In
addition to educational efforts, the CHP will be conducting enforcement
operations concentrating on occupant restraint violations throughout the year
with a special emphasis during the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign in
May and national Child Passenger Safety Week in September.
For
more information regarding seat belt regulations, child passenger safety, child
safety seats – including free inspections and installations by appointment - please
contact your local CHP Area office.
Funding
for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic
Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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