CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The back-to-school period brings about unique challenges and factors that highlight the importance of proper car seat and booster usage. Caregivers must prioritize their children's safety by ensuring they are correctly secured in all vehicles, no matter how busy or demanding the schedule becomes. Here with more is Sarah Tilton from Britax Child Safety. There are many challenges an hazards parents and grandparents face when taking their children back to school.
- Some challenges and factors impacting parents and grandparents include:
- Increased Traffic during Back-to-School Time: The beginning of the school year often sees a significant increase in traffic, as parents are dropping off and picking up their children from school. With more vehicles on the road, the risk of accidents and collisions also rises. Properly secured car seats and boosters play a crucial role in minimizing injuries in the event of a crash.
- Child Development/Maturity: Their smaller size and delicate bone structure make proper restraint systems, such as car seats and boosters, essential to protect them in case of an accident.
- Families Feel Rushed: Increased risk of vehicle crashes
- Unfamiliar Routes: Increased risk of distractions and stress on the road
- Peer Influence: If one child is not using a car seat or booster as required, it could influence other children and parents to do the same.
- Carpool Chaos: Hectic pick-up & drop-off lines. The time pressure in these lines may lead to rushed pick-ups that lead to kids buckling up with backpacks still on, etc.
- Weather Changes: Depending on the location, the start of the school year might coincide with changing weather conditions, such as heavy rain, fog, or changing daylight hours. These factors can affect visibility and road conditions, making accidents more likely. Properly secured children are better protected in such situations.
- Protecting All Passengers: In carpool situations or when parents are transporting multiple children, the correct use of car seats and boosters becomes crucial. All passengers should be appropriately secured to ensure the safety of everyone in the vehicle.
Given these factors it’s even more important that your child is strapped in a car seat or booster seat correctly. The rules may differ from state to state for instance:
- North Carolina: Child restraint required for children 7 yrs or under and under 80 lbs
- South Carolina: Child restraint required for children under 2 yrs or until height or weight limit reached in rear-facing seat; 2-8 yrs in forward-facing child safety seat or in booster seat secured by lap/shoulder belt (lap belt alone is not permissible); and 7 yrs or under in rear seat if available.
It is so important to read the instruction manual and follows the rules explicitly. When it comes to selecting the right car seat, booster or getting properly educated then check out the Car Seat Check Event.
Here are the details:
Date: Saturday, September 23rd, 2023 (Annual Seat Check Saturday)
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: First Baptist Church - 481 Hood Center Dr, Rock Hill, SC 29730
For more information visit Us.britax.com: The Britax website offers helpful links to car seat user guides, how-to videos, as well as informational articles about proper usage.