Safety Preparedness Car Seat Safety
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Car Seat Safety Program Minimize

California Child Passenger Safety Law states that children under 4'9" need to ride in a booster seat, because they are too small to fit safely in the seatbelt without the booster.  Vehicle safety belts should fit as follows:  lap belt low (touching the thighs), shoulder belt across middle of chest and shoulder (not under arm or behind back), knees bent comfortably without slouching.  If your child does not fit this description, use a booster!

Child Seat Safety Inspection Sites (by appointment only):

Name:    Phone #
Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District   831-685-6690
Boulder Creek Fire Protection District 831-338-7222
California Highway Patrol 831-662-0511
Capitola Police Department   831-475-4242
Santa Cruz City Fire Department 831-420-5280
Scotts Valley Fire Protection District 831-438-0211
Watsonville Fire Department 831-768-3209
Watsonville Police Department 831-768-3300

Note:  Whenever possible, please schedule car seat appointments 2-4 weeks in advance.  The Aptos/La Selva Fire District schedules car seat appointments on Wednesdays only, and spaces fill quickly. 

 SEATS for KIDS Program

Child safety seats are provided through Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency SEATS for KIDS Program, with funds from County Vehicle Code fine revenues, grants and private donations.  For more information, call 454-5477.  Seats are available for low-income families ($15-$30 donation requested).  Availablility of car seats is limited, and on a first come/first serve basis.

Program Sites (by appointment only):

Live Oak Family Resource Center
1438 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz
831-476-7284
 La Manzana Community Resources
521 Main Street, Suite Y, Watsonville, CA
831-724-2997 
 
Healthy Start/Rolling Hills Middle School
130 Herman Avenue, Watsonville
831-728-6341, ext. 4831   
Other sites/resources/referrals
831-454-5477
 

 

Child Passenger Safety - Know the Facts! Minimize
Motor vehicle crashes remain the No. 1 killer of kids. However, many of these deaths can be prevented with the proper use of child safety seats. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers (1-4 years old). 
 
The problem is most parents and caregivers are unaware of the risk to children when they are not properly restrained in child safety seats. According to a study conducted by DaimlerChrysler, 96 percent of parents and caregivers believe their child safety seats are installed correctly, but NHTSA research shows that seven out of 10 children are improperly restrained, putting them at risk for serious injury or death in a crash.  
 
What are the most common child safety seat installation mistakes?
 
  • Not using the right child safety seats for a child’s size and age;
  • Not placing the child safety seat in the correct direction;
  • Incorrect installation of the child safety seat in relation to the vehicle’s air bags;
  • Incorrect installation and tightness of the child safety seat to the vehicle seat;
  • Not securing or tightening the child safety seat’s harness and crotch straps;
  • Improper use of locking clips for certain vehicle safety belts;
  • Not making sure the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly across the child when using a booster seat; and  
  • Using a defective or broken child safety seat.
 
Wondering what kind of safety seat your child needs? 

 Check out this quick primer on child passenger safety (produced by the NHTSA and the “Buckle Up America” campaign). http://www.boosterseat.gov/CPSpostcard.pdf, then make an appointment with our trained car seat inspectors, at 831-685-6690, to ensure your seat is properly installed.

  
What Happens During a Car Seat Inspection?
 
Certified technicians will conduct the child safety seat inspection, taking approximately 30-50 minutes, depending on the seat and the vehicle. The certified inspector will:
 
  • Check the child safety seat to see that it has been properly installed.
  • Remove and inspect the child safety seat for damage/diagnose problems. 
  • Ensure the child safety seat is not a recalled model.
  • Get information about children riders from the vehicle owner (size and weight of child, etc.)
  • Ensure the child safety seat is appropriate for the size and age of the child.
  • Teach the auto owner the correct procedure to properly and safely install the child safety seat in his or her auto.
  • Show the parent or caregiver how to secure the child in the seat.
  • Discuss other vehicles and safety seats they own, and provide instructions to repeat the correct procedure with other seats or when installing the seat in other cars.
 
Other Safety Links:
 
Safe Kids USA
 
Center for Injury Prevention Policy and Practice
http://www.cippp.org/
 
California Department of Health Services, State and Local Injury Control (EPIC/SLIC)
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/epic
 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
 
NHTSA Booster Seat Info:

CA Kids Plates Minimize

 

 

CA Kids - A License Plate For People with a Passion

 
Buy a license plate that lets the world know you're a Star!
 
For the first time, a new specialty license plate lets you use any one of four symbols: Star, Heart, Plus, or a Hand to create a message. Tell the world how great your husband, wife, son or daughter is. Trumpet your skill at your job or hobby. Tell the world whom, or what, you love. Use your car or truck to make a personal statement.
 
 
Proceeds from your plate fund programs that benefit California's child injury prevention efforts, such as bicycle safety, drowning prevention, fall prevention, fire and burn prevention, motor vehicle occupant protection, pedestrian safety, poisoning prevention, firearm safety, and sudden infant death syndrome; child abuse prevention and, child care health and safety training. For more information, visit the CA Kids website at http://kidsplates.org/.

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