10/14/2013

So get up five minutes earlier!

Troubling statistic:

Parents with graduate degrees are twice as likely to say it is acceptable to drive without buckling up their childrens compared to parents with a high school education, particularly when they are in a rush.

Reading this afternoon from the New York Times, online edition October 11, 2013, a story, “Strapped In, but Still at Risk,” by Stephanie Steinberg and Bill Vlasic. The story says about 75 % of car seats are improperly installed according to the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration). When seats are only installed using only a safety belt a child’s head can move forward enough to hit the seat in front of him.  That is a set-up for brain and spinal injury. The safest seats are only as good as the installation by adults.  Most, if not all, need to be hooked from the top back of the child seat to a latch in the car's body.

It's not easy. The last time I installed two child car seats in my Buick according to the directions on the car seats it was a big effort. I had to find latches in my car using my driver's manual, and push with considerable strength to make them connect.

Find a child safety car seat inspection station near you:

National Highway Transporation Safety Administration website



© 2013 Nancy L. Ruder

3 comments:

seana graham said...

As to the first part of this piece--What???

Higher education seems to be in vain, then.

Collagemama said...

Seana--Thank you so much for your comment and your companion post at http://confessionofignorance.blogspot.com/2013/10/against-higher-education.html.

seana graham said...

No, thank you, Nancy for bringing this to our attention. It seriously blows my mind that people would take this kind of risk when they don't have to.