In an effort to ensure the safety of our youngest travelers, the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) has partnered with various agencies and community organizations to emphasize the critical nature of proper car seat usage. Highlighted during Child Passenger Safety Week, RCPD is focusing its resources to educate parents and caregivers on the correct selection and installation of car seats suited to the age and size of their children.
According to a social media post by the RCPD, safety officials are urging families to double-check their car seats. "Every child deserves to travel safely," announced Sgt. Day of RCPD's Traffic Bureau. "We urge all parents and caregivers to know for sure that their children are in the right seats and that those seats are installed correctly." The department's initiative aims to dramatically reduce the risk of injury or fatality in the unfortunate event of a crash.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveal a startlingly high incidence of car seat misuse, with 46% not being used properly. When installed correctly, car seats can significantly drop the chances of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers between the ages of one and four. The RCPD program, backed by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the NHTSA, underscores this data's real-world impact on child passenger safety.
The RCPD pointedly reminds the public of California's stringent child safety seat regulations: Children under two years old are legally required to ride in a rear-facing car seat, that is unless the child is 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. Older children, until age 8 or they reach a height of 4 feet 9 inches, must also be secured in a car seat or booster seat positioned in the back seat. For assistance in ensuring car seats are fitted appropriately to safely secure children, caregivers are encouraged to consult the RCPD Traffic Bureau.
