During February, National Child Passenger Safety Month, SAFE KIDS of DeKalb urges parents and other caregivers to insure that young passengers are correctly secured. Parents should make sure their children are properly restrained in a car seat, booster seat or seat belt. "There are no excuses for not having a child properly restrained," explains Janet Weisman, SAFE KIDS of DeKalb coordinator.

Weisman notes that, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. Unrestrained children are more likely to be injured or to die in a crash than children who are restrained are. In DeKalb County, from 1999 through 2001, 25 children aged 17 and under were killed in motor vehicle crashes.

SAFE KIDS of DeKalb offers the following child passenger safety tips:
• Never place an infant car seat in front of an active air bag. If the airbag goes off, it could cause severe injury or death.
• Children ages four through eight and between 40 and 80 pounds are safest in a booster seat in the back seat. Booster seats raise the child making the seat belt fit more securely.
• Children 12 and under are safest in the back seat.
• Never place a shoulder belt behind a child’s back. This could lead to injury in a crash. Always use the lap/shoulder belt combination.
• Infants should face to the rear until they are at least 12 months of age and at least 20 pounds in weight.
• Make sure all passengers are buckled in.

SAFE KIDS of DeKalb offers child safety seat classes. To register, call 404-294-3261.

For more information, please contact the following groups:
• National SAFE KIDS Campaign at www.safekids.org
• Child safety seat and recall information at www.nhtsa.dot.org
• DeKalb County Board of Health at (404) 294-3700 or www.dekalbhealth.net.

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