Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 11, 1992 TAG: 9202110209
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BEN BEAGLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SAFETY SEATS MISUSED, NOT USED, BOARD SAYS
Virginia law requires safety seats for children 4 and under, but some parents are not complying and others who do are misusing the seats, a regional safety board says.Lee Linkous, a member of the District 2 Community Traffic Safety Board, said at a Monday news conference that studies indicate 60 percent to 90 percent of parents don't know how to use the seats they buy.
Statewide in 1991, nine children aged 4 and under were killed in traffic accidents, he said. Seven of these were not in safety seats.
Overall, child fatalities were down from the 1990 figure of 16.
But, even with the reduction, "We have a lot more to do," Linkous said.
Parents, he said, should make sure the safety seats are made to fit their automobile, he said, because many buy the wrong kind.
Often, he said, the belts are not tight enough and parents don't slide the clip high enough on the infant's body.
Some don't know that an infant weighing under 20 pounds should be put in a safety seat facing the rear of the car.
And some parents throw away clips that stabilize the seat.
Often, the safety seats rock back and forth in the car seats because they don't fit precisely, Linkous said.
A simple remedy is putting a towel under the seat to stabilize it, he said.
This week, the safety board is stressing the theme "Buckle Up Your Valentine."
County rescue squad will inspect safety seats for parents from 4 to 6:30 p.m. through Friday.
Rescue squads have the following schedule for the rest of the week: today, Fort Lewis; Wednesday, Vinton; Thursday, Hollins; and Friday, Mount Pleasant.
The district, which represents 26 counties and cities in Southwest and Central Virginia, also has programs planned for dealing with teen-age drivers and drunken drivers.