Bedford Police Offer Child Seat Safety Tips to the Community

For Immediate Release

Monday, Sept. 21, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-533-9398
Email: john@jgpr.net

Bedford Police Offer Child Seat Safety Tips to the Community

BEDFORD — To ensure the safety of children while traveling in a motor vehicle, Chief Robert Bongiorno and the Bedford Police Department ask that the community comply with the state’s car seat policies and recommendations.

The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires that all children sit in a federally approved car seat or booster, which must be properly fastened and secured, until they are 8 years old or over 57 inches tall. It is recommended that children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat.

All infants and toddlers should be in rear-facing car seats until they reach the age of 2 years old, or the weight and height limit issued by the manufacturer. Toddlers and preschoolers should be placed in convertible and forward-facing seats equipped with a harness. Once school-aged children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should sit in a booster until they are old enough to wear a seat belt.

“Once you get behind the wheel it is not just your safety you’re responsible for, but the safety of all your passengers, especially children in the back seat,” Chief Bongiorno said. “That is why it is so important to make sure you are properly securing them in the appropriate seat that corresponds with the child’s age, height and weight.”

According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, 75 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly, and motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury for all children. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 638 children 12 years old and younger were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2013, and that more than 127,250 were injured.

The Bedford Police Department will install car seats for residents who need assistance. Set up an appointment here.

Properly securing your child in an age and size appropriate car seat greatly lowers the risk of serious and fatal injuries. The CDC reports that:

• Car seats reduce the risk of death to infants by 71 percent, and to toddlers between ages 1 to 4 by 54 percent.
• Booster seats decrease the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children 4 to 8 years old when compared with solely seat belt use.

Click here for a message on child safety seats from mass.gov.

For more information on child car seat safety or need help with installation please contact the Bedford Police Department at 781-275-1212 or to find a checkup event, visit www.mass.gov/childsafetyseats.

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