Sit down and strap in, the right way

By CHANSE WATSON

Managing Editor

OSBURN — Keeping children safe on the road means putting them in the right safety restraint at the right age.

That’s the message that Shoshone County firefighters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Idaho Transportation Department are putting out during National Child Passenger Safety Week.

Held from Sept. 17-23, the week aims to help cut down on one of the leading causes of death among children in the country — motor vehicle injuries.

In the United States, 663 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes during 2015, and more than 121,350 were injured in 2014. Of the children ages 12 years and younger who died in a crash in 2015 (for which restraint use was known), 35 percent were not buckled up.

One CDC study found that, in one year, more than 618,000 children ages 0-12 rode in vehicles without the use of a child safety seat or booster seat or a seat belt at least some of the time.

To play their part in this nationwide initiative, Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 is offering free child safety seat inspections by appointment.

SCFD No. 1 firefighter and child safety seat technician John Miller got his certification last year after learning that Shoshone County did not have anyone certified to inspect car seats.

“I drove to Kootenai Health before my daughter was born to have mine inspected,” he said. “I wanted to bring something to our department so others could stay close to home to have this service vs. not getting the service cause it was too far a drive.”

Technicians like Miller can ensure during these inspections that parents know exactly how to install a car seat based on manufacturer recommendations. They can also check to see if the seat has been recalled or the seat is appropriate for a certain child, as each seat has an expiration date and weight limit.

If a seat is determined to be out-of-date or dangerous and a new one cannot be procured, the district has a limited number of replacement seats available.

“The safety of our community is important to all of us at Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 and we want to make sure children are safe while traveling,” Miller said. “The service to our community goes beyond an ambulance and fire truck.“

If you or someone else you know is interested in getting an inspection, contact the Shoshone Fire District No. 1 station at 208-752-1101 to set up an appointment. Inspections can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes and you must bring your child and their car seat to ensure that everything is installed correctly.

For more information on child car safety, go to safercar.gov or http://itd.idaho.gov/ohs/ChildSafety/index.html