SMC Offers Info on Car Seat Installation, Safety & Recycling Old Car Seats

Article Source: County of San Mateo CA

Information on Car Seat Installation, Safety & Recycling Old Car Seats

For Child Passenger Safety Week, the County of San Mateo would like to remind residents that car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13 so it's very important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car.

Make sure your child's car seat is properly installed and is the right seat for your child's age, height and weight by making an appointment with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Certified Car Seat Technician, who's been helping caregivers and expectant parents for more than 12 years in San Mateo County with properly installing car seats and keeping up with new California car seat laws. Call (650) 257-3400, extension 5, to make an appointment.

In addition, remember a car seat can only be passed on to someone else if: (1) It has never been in a moderate to severe crash (read the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s definition of car crashes: https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data) and (2) It has not gone past the manufacturer’s expiration date. Most manufacturers list an expiration date on the seat, and if you can’t find one, six years is often considered the limit. Why? The materials degrade over time, especially from the intense ultraviolet light coming through car windows. This compromises their safety benefits. If your outgrown car seat meets these requirements, then you can pass it on to a friend or family member. Most charitable organizations will not accept used car seats since they can’t be sure of their safety history.

Now through Saturday, Sept. 23, you can take your old car seat into Target to get it recycled for free. Car seats are made up of plastics and fabrics, like polyester, these materials don’t break down in landfills. This Target event makes it easy to responsibly dispose of something that’s otherwise tough to recycle and is often destined for the landfill. Just bring your old child car seat (any seats) to guest services and receive a coupon to save 20% for an upgraded seat or booster. Target is partnering with TerraCycle, an organization to collect and recycle these seats.

According to current California law:

Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds OR is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat. (California Vehicle Code Section 27360.)

Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.

Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt. (California Vehicle Code Section 27363.)

Passengers who are 16 years of age and over are subject to California's Mandatory Seat Belt law.

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Robert Riechel

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Source Credit: County of San Mateo CA

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