BENTON COUNTY — Many parents drove away from Saturday morning’s session with new child safety restraint seats for their children. All drove away with a greater awareness and appreciation for the importance of car seats for small children and the importance of the seat being properly installed in the car and the child properly buckled into the seat.
Some had stories to tell.
Nita Murray, who had her two young grandchildren with her, said those two survived a one-vehicle wreck several years ago because they were buckled into car seats.
Their father broke his neck and is now paralyzed from the chest down, said Nita Murray. She said on Nov. 7, 2010, on Twelve Corners Road, her son-in-law, her daughter and two grandchildren were going aroudn a corner when the car hit a gravel corner , the driver overcorrected, and the car rolled.
The driver was unbuckled and was ejected. The two children were 3 and 4 years old.
Another mother shared a story of her friend whose daughter flew out of her car seat and died in an automobile wreck.
Pea Ridge Police Officer Mark Garrison, a licensed Child Passenger Safety Technician, and Benton County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Tom See, a licensed instructor, joined forces in teaching the class, theninspecting each car seat in each vehicle. Several car seats were replaced either because they were out of date or close to expiration.
“We’re going to take time to educate you. We can write tickets all day long, but it’s our job to help you keep your kids safe,” See said. “Just because state law says it doesn’t mean we can go above and beyond.”
See told the parents what state law requires and what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends.
“To me, this is very important,” See said, telling the parents present that he is the father of three boys, ages 3, 5 and 13.
The primary factor in child fatalities is automobile accidents, See said. Statistics show that sevenyears ago 90 percent of car seats were improperly used and that today, after years of educating parents, 80 percent are misused.
“That’s only a 10 percent decrease. It’s still an issue,” he said.
“Parents are number one. It starts with you. Do you buckle up?”
“Our ultimate goal is the safety of our kids,” See said.
See said laws in states vary anddrivers are responsible for obeying the laws in the state in which they are driving. He recommended parents research the laws of Missouri and Oklahoma since northwest Arkansas borders both states.
A small child should face the rear of the automobile with the shoulder straps in a five-point harness coming from at or below the shoulders. With a larger child facing forward, the shoulder straps should be at or above the shoulder level. Forinfants up to 1 year and/or 20 pounds, children should be rear facing. See recommends rear facing for children up to 2 years of age, but says that is not state law. Children up to 6 years or 60 pounds should be in a child safety seat.
He said with combination seats that the head restraint should be above the level of the top of the child’s ears.
“I recommend you keep your child in a five-point harness as long as you can,” See said.
“I’m seeing how much in danger my grandchild is,” one lady said.
Brandi Knight said: “It’s been worth it. Having a kid for four years, I thought I knew all about car seats. I’ve learned a lot!”
Carla Clark said: “It may take a little time, but it’s worth it.”
See said parents should read both the automobile manual and the child restraint seat manual to know weight levels and installation instructions. He said some models are tested for higherweights, up to 100 pounds.
“Basically, it’s your responsibility to talk to your kid. I want to ensure my kids are as safe as they can be,” he said.
See also told the parents that loose items in a vehicle can become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash.
Recommendations change. Research reveals new information.
There are four basic styles of child safety seats: the infant carrier, the convertible (can face forward or backward), the combinaton (which is like two child restraints in one) and the booster seat.
Saturday’s session at HeadStart was just the beginning, according to Officer Garrison, who has applied fora Wal-Mart grant to buy child safety seat restraints for residents of Pea Ridge.
See said the Sheriff’s office gets money from a state grant, from Wal-Mart and uses some from the BCSO to provides car seats in a“loaner program.”
“Our primary focus is the safety of children,” See said, noting he had installed car seats in vehicles of every value.
News, Pages 1 on 04/18/2012