Improper Car Seat Installation Endangers Children

As many as 75 percent of car seats are installed improperly, potentially putting young children in danger every time their parents get behind the wheel.

The Bedford Police Department is trying to change that, offering tips for proper installation and even experts to install the seats for parents. Click here to set up an appointment to get your car seat installed.

“Once you get behind the wheel it is not just your safety you’re responsible for, but the safety of all your passengers, especially children in the back seat,” Police Chief Robert Bongiorno said in a release. “That is why it is so important to make sure you are properly securing them in the appropriate seat that corresponds with the child’s age, height and weight.”

The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires that all children sit in a federally approved car seat or booster, which must be properly fastened and secured, until they are 8 years old or over 57 inches tall. It is recommended that children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat.

All infants and toddlers should be in rear-facing car seats until they reach the age of 2 years old, or the weight and height limit issued by the manufacturer. Toddlers and preschoolers should be placed in convertible and forward-facing seats equipped with a harness. Once school-aged children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should sit in a booster until they are old enough to wear a seat belt.

Car crashes are among the leading causes of death and injury for all children, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 638 children 12 years old and younger were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2013, and that more than 127,250 were injured.

The Bedford Police Department will install car seats for residents who need assistance. Set up an appointment here.

Properly securing your child in an age and size appropriate car seat greatly lowers the risk of serious and fatal injuries. The CDC reports that:

• Car seats reduce the risk of death to infants by 71 percent, and to toddlers between ages 1 to 4 by 54 percent.

• Booster seats decrease the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children 4 to 8 years old when compared with solely seat belt use.

Click here for a message on child safety seats from mass.gov.

For more information on child car seat safety or need help with installation please contact the Maynard Police Department at 978-897-1011 or to find a checkup event, visit www.mass.gov/childsafetyseats.