MCCCHD Car Seat Program  Are Your Kids Safe?
Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and adults, ages 1 to 34 years. Selecting a safe vehicle and properly using child restraints and seatbelts may be the most important things you can do to protect your family.
Nationally, the misuse rate for child safety seats is over 80% and as high as 95% in some areas. The good news is that correct use of car seats and boosters does save lives. Infant seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury by 71%, and toddler seats by 54%. MCCCHD and Ohio Department of Health’s Safety Seat Program(Ohio Buckles Buckeyes) offers free car safety seats to eligible families. The parent or guardian must attend an educational session on proper use and installation of the child safety seat, then a certified Child passenger safety technician will inspect your seat for correct installation. 
Program Eligibility
1.Child is a WIC client or meets current WIC Income Guidelines.
2.Child has outgrown present carseat.
3.Appointment has been scheduled. Ten Basic Safety Rules: | | |
Kids 12 and under should ALWAYS ride in the back seat. This cuts their risk of death by 36%. Kids should be in a carseat or booster until they can be seated properly in a seatbelt. For most kids, this is around 8 years old or 4' 9" tall, but proper seatbelt fit is the most important factor. Never place a rear-facing carseat in the front seat when there is an active frontal airbag. Keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible. That can mean up to 30, 33 or 35 pounds in most current convertible seats unless they outgrow it by height first. All current car seats pass government safety standards. Select the one that best fits your child, your vehicle and your budget. Some models do have different features; select one that has the features that will allow you to use it correctly EVERY trip. Always read the owners manuals for your vehicle and carseat thoroughly. They often contain specific information about carseat installation that may not be obvious. Some models may vary from what you would expect. Make sure that the harness fits snugly on your child, the carseat fits snugly in your vehicle, and that your vehicle seatbelts are locked properly. When you buy a carseat, make sure you have a good return policy in case it doesn't fit or in case you find you don't like it. Have your seat inspected by a certified technician for free at a checkup event or fitting station. Please be wary of used carseats, especially those over 6 years old, those with an unknown history that may have been in a crash, those that show any form of cracks or damage, and those with missing labels, model number, manufacturing date, instructions or parts. Please give driving your complete, unimpaired attention and wear your own seatbelt all the time. These two simple steps are among these easiest ways you can protect yourself and your passengers from injury or death.
| Need help on installing or advice on buying car seats? Contact the Mercer County Health Department, 419-586-3251 x 270 Recommended Links on Carseat Selection: | | |
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