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Spring break road trip plans with a child safety mindset
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Spring break is just around the corner for most Central Floridians and many families will be loading up the family cruiser and hitting the roads. Whether planning a local vacation in and around the Central Florida corridor or planning an out-of-state trip, being safety-minded will provide peace of mind, especially with regard to the little ones.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 1,670 fatalities among vehicle occupants age 14 and younger during 2007. Of those fatalities, 45 percent involved children who were unrestrained. Sadly, Florida's 114 deaths were more than three times the national average and ranked third in the nation for total fatalities amongst this age group.
Understanding how to properly and effectively use child restraints will help improve the likelihood a child will survive an auto accident. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind when preparing for any road trip that includes younger passengers:
1) Know the law – both at home and on the road. If staying put around Central Florida, it's sufficient to be aware of our local laws and how they affect us. If traveling out-of-state, however, what are the child restraint laws in that state? For example: Florida only requires that children 3 years of age or less are held in a child restraint seat, regardless of height or weight. Georgia, however, requires children 5 years of age or younger AND 57” or less in height to be restrained. An overview of Child Passenger Safety laws can be found on the Governors Highway Safety Association website.
2) Follow the 4-step process. Though state and local laws should always be followed, it's not a bad idea to be even more safety-minded than what the law requires, especially when it comes to our most valuable cargo. NHTSA has created a 4-step primer for parents to raise the level of awareness for how safety restraint needs change as our children grow.
3) Understand proper safety restraint use. Read the owner's manual included with any child safety seat to understand proper seat placement and installation. Reference the vehicle owner's manual as well for information regarding proper safety belt usage and child seat anchor points (if so equipped).
4) Have safety restraint seats inspected. Inspection service is provided free of charge through numerous businesses and organizations, including most local, county and state police departments. NHTSA maintains a database of free inspection sites. Many of them are open during certain hours for walk-in inspections while others require appointments.
5) Check for known defects and recalls. It doesn't matter if the seat was purchased new or used, known common defects and recalls are a fact of life. Once again, NHTSA is great source for information regarding these defects and recalls through their Office of Defects Investigation.
Equip yourself with knowledge of the law as well as proper safety seat usage and you can sleep better knowing you've helped keep your children safe. Here's to wishing everyone safe travels!
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