LHPD - Car Safety Seats

CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINTS

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States. Every year, approximately forty-two thousand Americans die in motor vehicle crashes and millions are injured. While no safety system is 100% effective in all crash circumstances, many of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented with the proper use of seat belts and child restraint systems.

Motor vehicle crashes account for nearly 42% of all unintentional childhood related deaths.

61% of the children under 14 years old who died in motor vehicle crashes were unrestrained.
Properly utilized child restraint systems are 71% effective in reducing deaths for infants and 54% effective in reducing toddler deaths in motor vehicle crashes.

New Jersey seatbelt law requires that every driver transporting children under the age of eight and weighing less than 80 pounds must secure the child in the rear seat, using a child passenger restraint system or a booster seat. The law requires drivers of a passenger automobiles to secure children between 8 and 18 years old in a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt system.

Officer Lisa Winstock of the Long Hill Township Police Department is a certified technician on Standardized Child Passenger Safety. The course was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Officer Winstock is available to provide current information about child passenger safety, to educate and demonstrate the proper use of the car seat, and to assist parents and caregivers with any questions or concerns regarding the child passenger seat.

Long Hill Township Police Department offers free child passenger safety restraint checks. The inspection takes less than 30 minutes. To schedule your inspection, please contact Officer Lisa Winstock by calling 908-647-1800 ext. 224.

Click here for instructions on child passenger safety restraint seats.

For more highway safety information: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/toc.html

7/18/07