University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 19, Feb. 13, 1997
Child auto safety tips

     Child Passenger Awareness Week, being held Feb. 9-15, is
designed as a reminder to buckle up child passengers, since motor
vehicle injuries are the leading killer of children over 1 year
old.
     According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats, when used correctly,
can reduce fatalities by 71 percent among children under age 5.
     However, statistics show that safety seat use among children
involved in fatal crashes is low and that as many as 40 percent
of the children are unrestrained.
     A combination of non-use and misuse is the cause for child
safety seats not saving as many lives as they can.
     Delaware's Child Restraint Law states that any child under
the age of 4 must be in a federally approved child restraint
seat.
     Children aged 4-15 must be in a child restraint seat or wear
a safety belt.
     NHTSA recommends a rear-facing seat for children until the
child weighs 20 pounds and is at least 1 year of age, a forward-
facing seat to 40 pounds and 4 years of age and a booster seat
until the child can use a seat belt properly.
     Rear-facing child seats should never be used in the front
seat of a vehicle equipped with a passenger-side air bag.
     Copies of the Child Restraint Law and Air Bag Safety Alert
are available from Cooperative Extension, 910 South Chapel St.,
contact Cindy Genau at 831-4973; and from Public Safety, 79
Amstel Ave., contact Bill Katorkas at 831-4159.