Mangano Warns School Bus Drivers To Adhere To Traffic Signals & Urges Parents To Get Child Safety Seats Inspected

Proclaims National Child Passenger Safety Week September 18th – 24th

(Video Link Below)

After reviewing red light camera ticket data and in recognition of National Child Passenger Safety Week, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today issued a public safety warning to school bus drivers throughout Nassau County. Red light camera ticket data from the past 12 months indicates that over 1,000 tickets have been issued to school buses driving through red lights. In the coming days, the Nassau County Police Department will increase surveillance of intersections known for school buses breaking the law.

“When our children get on the school bus, we place them in the hands of people we must trust with their lives,” said County Executive Mangano. “Because the number of school buses running red lights is startling, I have directed the Nassau County Police Department to crackdown on those bus drivers breaking the law.”

Proclaiming National Child Passenger Safety Week September 18th through 24th, County Executive Mangano also urged parents and caregivers to have their children’s car seats checked on National Seat Check Saturday, September 24, 2011. The Nassau County Traffic Safety will partner with the Education and Assistance Corporation (EAC) to inspect car seats and provide free hands-on advice from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Nassau County Child Passenger Fitting Station located at 170 Cantiague Rock Road, Hicksville. Parents are encouraged to call 571-9664 to make an appointment.

Since the opening of the Nassau County Fitting Station in August of 2010 more than 1,000 families have used the services offered by Nassau County Traffic Safety. Serving as a model for the nation, our fitting station leads New York State in the number of families helped.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released updated car seat recommendations for children through age 12,” said County Executive Mangano. “We want to help you do all you can to best protect your child when traveling. During Child Passenger Safety Week, I urge all parents and caregivers to have their car seat checked by a certified technician. When it comes to the safety of your child, there is no room for mistakes.”

In motor vehicle crashes, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for children younger than 1 and by 54 percent for children 1 to 4 in passenger cars, according to data collected by NHTSA. In 2009 alone, 754 children 12 or younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes while riding in passenger cars or light trucks. And among those who were fatally injured where restraint use was known, 42 percent were unrestrained. Many of these tragedies could have been prevented if the children were in the right restraint for their age and size.

The updated recommendations emphasize how important it is to keep children in each restraint type for as long as possible before moving them to the next type. While New York State Law requires children to ride in a federally approved child safety seat, for maximum child passenger safety, parents and caregivers should visit their local inspection station to ensure their children’s car seats are used properly:

Birth – 12 months

For the best possible protection, your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years

Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children riding rear-facing to age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.

Remember:

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

Link to video of school buses going through red lights in Nassau County: http://youtu.be/DGNCs9IPw1o

 

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