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Child Safety Seats

Every day, an unrestrained child under the age of five is killed in a traffic crash in this country. Using the appropriate child safety seat is the most appropriate way to protect a child.

Here is what you need to know to keep your child safe

All children 12 and under are safest when secured in the back seat. NEVER put an infant in a rear-facing safety seat in front of an airbag.

Selecting the right seat is vital to the safety of your child.

Seat should be appropriate for the child’s height and weight.

Not all safety seats can be in all vehicles and all seating positions (side facing jump seats found in the extended cabs of pickup trucks are not appropriate for a child safety seat under any circumstances)

If a safety seat is more that 5 years old or has been involved in a crash, it should be replaced.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake when installing a safety seat is the failure to get a tight fit.

The safety seat harness that secures the child to the seat should also fit snugly.

The vehicle’s safety belt system must be made to lock in order to hold the safety seat firmly in place.

Rear-facing safety seats should be made to incline at a 45-degree angle.

For information about child safety seats, or to have your safety seat checked, call the El Paso Police Department’s Safe Communities Program at 564-7352.

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