As the father
of a young son, I know the worries that accompany the joys of parenthood.
As a parent
you will always worry. But, there will come a day when you can worry less:
maybe once you see a son or daughter graduate college, find career success, or
get married. And until then, it’s up to us to keep our children safe.
That’s why
we’re reaching out directly to parents and to organizations committed to
protecting children about car seat safety as part of Child Passenger Safety
Week, which runs from September 14-20. We want everyone to know that protecting
children means researching the correct car seat, making sure it’s registered so
you’re notified of any safety recalls, and -- if you’re as committed to this issue
as we are at NHTSA -- to reaching out and spreading the word about car seat safety
on social media this week.
Research.
One of the
first purchases for any new parent is a car seat. Your child cannot travel
safely unless he or she is restrained in a car seat that is appropriate
for your child and that has been been properly installed. But
how are parents to know what seat is best? With the help of NHTSA’s new Car
Seat Finder every parent or caregiver can quickly and easily identify the type
of car seat that will best protect your child. Additionally, our Parents
Central Page at SaferCar.gov offers lots of other helpful tips for protecting
our kids.
Register.
But our responsibilities
don’t end with the selection and purchase of the right car seat or booster seat.
In order to be informed of any possible safety recalls your car seat must be
registered with the manufacturer. Yet far too many fail to register their
seats.
As soon as
you bring a new car seat home, immediately mail the postage-paid registration
car that comes with it. If you can’t find the card, don’t worry; this web
page allows you to register your seat online.
Our “SaferCar” app
for iOS -- and the new
Android version we recently launched -- also offer access to recall information,
NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings, and other helpful information. “Snail mail”
also remains a central way to notify Americans of safety recalls, which is why
NHTSA recently mandated that all manufacturers use a new,
distinctive label on required mailings so that notices aren’t lost among
the junk mail.
Reach Out.
If you or
your organization wants to help spread the word throughout Child Passenger
Safety Week and beyond, we hope you’ll participate in our Twitter chat on
September 17. You can follow the chat or participate by using the hashtag #therightseat.
You can also enhance your engagement with your followers by using marketing
materials we’ve made available to the public at trafficsafetymarketing.gov
and sharing brief videos on the topic from our
Vine page.
It’s About Keeping Kids Safe in Car
Seats
If you want
to be sure your car seat or booster seat is safe, or help others protect kids, then
remember following steps.
When you hear about a car seat or
booster seat recall, be sure to:
·
Find
out which models and manufacture dates are involved.
·
Call
the manufacturer or visit their Web site for more information and to verify if
your car seat or booster seat has been recalled; or
·
Call
NHTSA’s toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
Before you call, have the following
information:
·
Manufacturer’s
name
·
Model
Name
·
Model
Number
·
Date
of Manufacture
If your car seat is recalled get it
fixed right away.
If you don’t
have another car seat or booster seat to use, keep using the recalled seat
while you wait for the repair kit—if the recall notice says you can. Using a
recalled car seat or booster seat is almost always safer than letting a child
ride in just a seat belt. Many problems are minor but some are serious. All
problems should be fixed as soon as possible.
The Bottom Line is Our Kids’ Safety.
There will
come a day when parents can worry less, but until then, it’s up
to us to keep our children safe.
- By David J.Friedman, Acting Administrator, NHTSA
No comments:
Post a Comment