Child safety a priority

SUPERIOR – Several entities in Mineral County worked together last week at two separate events during Child Passenger Safety Week to ensure children are properly restrained when they travel in vehicles.

Beginning on Wednesday at the Mineral Regional Health Center and again on Saturday at the Superior Volunteer Fire Department firehouse, members of the Mineral County Buckle Up Montana Coalition and others provided a variety of services to the public.

Inspections by SVFD Chief John Woodland of child seating conditions and information provided by MCBUMC Coordinator Juli Balenger all were available to those who chose to take advantage of the opportunity. Balenger said making sure children are properly restrained in vehicles was critical to ensuring their safety while traveling.

“We are here to educate residents about the importance of seatbelt use and proper installation of car seats and booster seats,” Balenger said. “Sometimes car seats are installed wrong. Keeping kids secure will make them safer.”

Balenger said even if responsible parents have car seats and use them, problems can still arise due to the wide variety of options on the market. According to information on the Montana Department of Transportation website, studies have shown more than 75 percent of car seats are incorrectly installed.  

Montana state law requires all children under the age of six or weighing less than 60 pounds to be restrained in a car or booster seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends keeping children in whatever type of restraint system parents are using for as long as possible before moving them on to another type.

Information from MDT states many children should not be graduated to a traditional lap and shoulder belt until they are at least 4 foot 9 inches which is around eight years of age.

During National Seat Check Day on Saturday, Sept. 20, SVFD Chief Woodland was again on hand to inspect seating conditions in vehicles. Woodland said it was vital to protecting children that they use proper restraints and that they be properly installed.

“We have invited parents and their kids to come in and we inspect their seats to make sure they are properly installed and the child is properly strapped in,” Woodland said. “We have some seats available if the seats they have are not appropriate.”

Woodland said even if parents are being responsible and using age appropriate car seats, some of them may still be problematic. If a car seat had already previously been in an accident, even if it appeared to be undamaged, he said it should be discarded.

“Seats that people don’t know the full history of are a concern,” Woodland said. “If the seat has been in an accident, it should never be reused. Parents need to make sure the seat is right for child. None of us as emergency responders want to respond to calls where there are injured kids. Those are the worst calls we have and so anything we can do to make a change is important.”