Child passenger safety week kicks off

Hot Springs County Public Health, in partnership with Safe Kids Wyoming, will kick off Child Passenger Safety Week/Month on Tuesday, Sept. 19 by encouraging parents to know the Wyoming law. Kids under 9 must be secured in an appropriate child restraint in the back seat of the vehicle. Children in rear-facing infant seats must not be in front of an active airbag. It is a primary offense to not have your child safely and properly secured. Law enforcement can and will stop you for not restraining your child correctly and you can be fined. This is our law in Wyoming!

There will be a child safety seat checkup at 408 Broadway on Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is the ninth annual “Boost ‘til 9” statewide initiative. There will be child passenger safety checks with a booster seat emphasis throughout Wyoming throughout the month of September. Every site will stress the importance of using the appropriate seat for the child’s height, weight and age as well as the correct fit for the child and the vehicle.

Trained and certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to help with compatibility issues and to answer questions. Booster seats will be available with technicians assisting families to know if a booster is right for their child and then which booster is appropriate for the child and the vehicle.

Child safety seats are required by law in every state because they provide the best protection for infants and young children. Children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats. Seat belts may be used when a child can ride comfortably with their back and buttocks against the vehicle seat back with the shoulder belt on the shoulder resting snugly over the chest and lap belt low across the hip or upper thigh. Knees should be completely bent over at the edge of the vehicle seat with feet flat on the floor, and children should be able to stay comfortably seated this way for the entire trip.

For more information on child passenger safety call Deb Gerharter, 307-864-3311, 1-800-994-GROW (4769) or visit safekidswyoming.org.