FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Joe Picchi/Christine Burling
Monday, February 14, 2005	PHONE: 518-473-7000

 

Albany, New York – Raymond P. Martinez, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee today announced that February 13 through February 19, 2005 is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Commissioner Martinez also reminded New Yorkers that the new State law requiring booster seats for children ages four, five, and six takes effect on March 27, 2005.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of children ages two through 14. But children ages four through eight who use booster seats are 59-percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children who are restrained only by a safety belt.

That's why the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and Governor's Traffic Safety Committee are joining NHTSA, the Ad Council and others this year to commemorate National Child Passenger Safety Week (Feb. 13-19). The purpose is to place special emphasis on reminding all parents and other adults responsible for children traveling in motor vehicles: if the kids are under 4'9", they need a booster seat.

Commissioner Martinez said, "During National Child Passenger Safety Week, we are reminding parents and caregivers to be cognizant of their children's safety while traveling.  The three most common mistakes in installing a child safety seat are (1) not attaching the seat tightly to the car or truck, (2) not fastening the harness tightly enough, and (3) not using the chest clip or using it incorrectly. Please, make sure your children are properly restrained in an appropriate child restraint system anytime they are riding in your vehicle.  If you are unsure if your child's restraint system is properly installed, please visit one of the many child safety seat fitting stations around the state."

For a list of child safety seat fitting stations, please visit www.thesafeny.org.

Commissioner Martinez reminds parents and caregivers that as children grow, how they sit in your vehicle should also change. For maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers simply need to remember and follow these four tips:

1. Children are safer when properly restrained in the back seat.
2. Children should ride rear facing until they are at least one year old and at least 20 pounds.  Children who reach 20 pounds before one year of age should ride rear facing in a convertible seat, as long as the top of the child's head is at least one inch below the top of the shell of the car seat.  Never place a rear facing child safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with passenger air bags.
3. For maximum protection, keep a child in a forward facing child safety seat with an internal harness until they reach the manufacturer's recommendations for upper size limits.
4. Children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they can fit into an adult safety belt properly.  Booster seats are for big kids!

To commemorate National Child Passenger Safety Week in New York, the NYS DVM and GTSC have worked with local groups to organize free child safety seat checks throughout the state.  For a complete list, please visit www.thesafeny.org and click on the "child safety seats" link.

Commissioner Martinez also reminds New Yorkers that the new booster seat law takes effect on March 27, "this new law requires all children ages four, five, and six to be restrained in an appropriate child safety restraint system that meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Safety belts alone are designed for adults and won't provide adequate protection to these children during a crash.  For your child's safety, please adhere to this new law."

The booster seats must be used along with a combination lap and shoulder safety belt.  Individuals found to be in violation of this new law will be subject to a civil fine ranging between $25 and $100.

For more information about National Child Passenger Safety Week or the New York State Booster Seat Law, please visit www.nysdmv.com or www.thesafeny.org.