The Signal Hill Police Department, in conjunction with Safety Belt Safe USA and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), will be focusing on the enforcement of child-safety restraint and seatbelt laws during the special enforcement week of April 12—18.
During this week, officers will be checking vehicles to make sure all children are properly restrained in a vehicle, either with an infant safety seat, a child safety seat or a booster seat. OTS statistics show that young children who are placed in vehicle belts rather than booster seats are 59 percent more likely to suffer devastating injuries, including severe damage to the brain, liver, spleen, and spinal cord. Most children need to use a booster seat from about age four until about age eight for maximum protection and improved comfort in the car.
Use the following guide to see if your child needs a booster seat:
The 5-Step Test
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” the child needs a booster seat. Belt Safe USA has a Safety Seat Checkup Day planned for Saturday, April 25, at the Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, from 10am to 2pm. For more information, contact Sergeant Robert Cravens at (562) 989-7200 or rcravens@cityofsignalhill.org, or stop by the Signal Hill Police Department to speak with an officer.
