Child passenger safety week
When first responders arrive at the scene of a traffic crash, it’s important to have quick, accurate information about the vehicle occupants. That’s why traffic safety officials today unveiled an updated kid’s identification sticker for car seats.
For more than 20 years, the Office of Highway Safety Planning’s (OHSP) kid’s identification sticker has been an easy and effective way to provide crucial details during an emergency. When affixed to a car seat, it gives immediate access to vital facts about a child passenger if injured caregivers or an injured child are unable to do so.
The updated sticker includes spaces for the child’s name, as well as larger fields for medical information and allergies. There is additional room to list parents or guardians, the child’s physician and the name and phone number of an emergency contact. The new sticker comes with a flap that offers privacy and protects the information from fading.
“This sticker is a great item in any child safety advocate’s toolkit,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP director. “Michigan has a network of more than 1,000 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians who regularly meet with parents and caregivers to educate them about proper car seat use.”
Those technicians and safety advocates are observing CPS Week from Sept.18-24. This national initiative raises awareness about car seat use and encourages caregivers to have their children’s car seats inspected by a certified CPS technician. The event culminates on National Seat Check Saturday.
“During Child Passenger Safety Week, take time to get your car seat checked out,” said Jennifer Hoekstra, injury prevention specialist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. “Learning how to properly install your car seat can be a life-saving lesson for you and your entire family.”
Children must be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children younger than age 4 must ride in a car seat in the back seat if a vehicle has a back seat. Babies and toddlers should ride rear-facing until at least age 2 or the upper weight or height limit of the seat.
To order the kid’s identification stickers, go to Michigan.gov/carseats. The website also includes links to child safety seat inspection stations, a list of CPS Week events and a series of educational videos on using car seats properly.
