PRACTICE SAFETY WITH VEHICLE RESTRAINTS

The week of May 19 to May 25 has been designated by the National Department of Transportation, Washington DC, as National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. In keeping, Fallon Ambulance offers the following safety information regarding car restraints and the use of child safety seats.

Car Restraints Gaining In Use Throughout USA
Safety belt laws have been enacted in forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Territories. The only two non-law states are Maine and New Hampshire.

"The use of seat belts and the proper installation and use of child safety seats is indisputably the best method to actively prevent injury and protect occupants within a vehicle," stated Peter Racicot, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Fallon Ambulance Service.
 
Use Of Safety Belts Reduces Risk To Front Seat Passengers By 45 Percent
The use of lap/shoulder safety belts reduces the risk of fatal injury to front-seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to critical injury by 50 percent. For light truck occupants, safety belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate to critical injury by 65 percent. Data obtained between 1982 through 1994 estimated that 65,290 lives were saved by safety belts and that more than 1.5 million moderate-to-critical injuries were prevented.

Ejection from the vehicle is one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash. Safety belts provide the greatest protection against occupant ejection. Three-quarters of the occupants who were ejected from passenger cars were killed. In 1994, fatal crashes ejected 24 percent of unrestrained occupants as opposed to only two percent of restrained occupants.
 
Air Bags Provide 10 Percent Fatality Risk Reduction
Air bags are supplemental protection designed to work in conjunction with lap/shoulder safety belts to offer the most effective safety protection. They provide an additional 10 percent fatality risk reduction. Air bags are not designed to deploy in all crashes. Most are designed to inflate in a moderate-to-severe crash. Crashes at lower speeds may result in injuries, but not serious injuries that air bags are designed to prevent. Lap/shoulder safety belts should always be used regardless of whether or not the vehicle is equipped with an airbag.

Child safety seats have reduced fatal injuries in infants by 69 percent and for toddlers, 47 percent. Proper use of child car seats is imperative for child safety. Inside a vehicle, it is important to read the labels on seat belts and sun visors and follow the instructions.
 
Beware Of Incorrectly Installed Child Car Seats
At least half of the child car seats in use today are incorrectly installed and parents may not even realize it.

Vehicle seat design and safety belts are built for adult comfort, not for securing child safety seats correctly. For prevention, read your vehicle owner's manual and the instructions that come with your car seat. Check the type of seat belt restraint that is in your vehicle and follow the child safety seat instructions with regard (but not limited) to: locking seat belts, door-mounted seat belts, locking clip use and correct car seat angle because each requires a certain method of installation.

Select a car seat that has the best fit. Be aware of the need for change from car seat to booster seat. For example, a two-year-old child is too young for a booster seat and a regular child seat restraint should be used until outgrown. The harness slot level should be below shoulder level, and harness straps must lie flat and be held on shoulders with a harness retainer clip. Children weighing more than 40 pounds usually use booster seats.
 
When Should Boosters Be Used?
Regarding booster seats, a shield booster should be used when only a lap belt is available.

If your car has combination lap and shoulder belts (and the shield is detachable) the booster base should be used alone. Be aware that the seat belt should not cross the child's throat and that the lap belt should rest below the hipbones, touching the upper thighs. This holds true for booster seat and grown children that are no longer in need of a booster seat. If the lap belt goes over the stomach, it could lead to serious or fatal internal injuries in a crash. Additionally, if the child's ears are above the top of the seat back, a booster with a high back should be used.

If you still have problems regarding child safety seats, call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-9393.