WV Govenor Joe Manchin Features Child Passenger Safety in Weekly Column

Governor Joe Manchin focused on child passenger safety for his weekly column last week:

Oct. 31, 2008

Now is a Good Time to Check Your Child Safety Seats

From The Governor’s Desk: A weekly column by Gov. Joe Manchin

Contact: Matt Turner, 304-558-2000

This week’s cold snap probably persuaded a lot of us to head to our attics and closets to unpack our winter clothing and get geared up for colder weather in the coming months. While you’re making those preparations, it’s also a good time to think about driving in winter weather, which means extra caution behind the wheel.

West Virginians have done a great job of buckling up. Earlier this year, we received a $5 million federal grant for the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for the state’s “elite” seatbelt usage level. West Virginia was one of only five states to achieve that high of a level of seat belt usage among its residents. But there’s another area that’s even more critical, particularly as roads become more treacherous, and that’s properly buckling up our children first.

West Virginia state law requires that all children up to 8 years old be properly secured in a federally approved child safety seat, unless the child reaches 4 feet 9 inches tall before their 8th birthday. The day they turn 8, a seat belt becomes legally sufficient.

Parents and caregivers need to take the law seriously and not only follow the law, but take the proper steps to make sure that all children are safely secured on every trip. According to the National Highway Administration (NHTSA), car seats are 71 percent effective in reducing infant deaths and 54 percent effective in reducing deaths for children 1 to 4 years old. Seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45 percent.

One of the biggest gaps in occupant protection has always been for children ages 4 through 7, when many convertible car seats are too small, but seat belts do not yet fit them properly. To bridge the gap, many states, including West Virginia, have upgraded their child passenger safety laws to require the use of booster seats once the conventional car seats have been outgrown, up to 8 years old. According to a study by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, children ages 4 to 7 who use booster seats are 59 percent less likely to be injured in a car crash than children who are restrained only by a seat belt.

Once a child reaches the age of 8, or grows to 4 feet 9 inches tall, just wearing a seat belt is legal, but may not be the safest restraint without the continued use of a booster seat. To determine whether your child is ready to move out of a booster, have your child sit up against the back of the vehicle seat. The knees should bend comfortably over the seat, the lap belt should lie across the upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should fit across the chest. If the lap belt rides up on the abdomen, or the shoulder belt digs into the child’s neck, a booster seat is still recommended.
Please remember to protect your children by using child safety seats, booster seats, and seat belts. And always buckle up yourself. You will set a good example for your children, and it may save your life, too!

For more information, or to have your child safety seat installation tested, contact the Governor’s Highway Safety Program at 304-558-6080.

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WVNS TV in Beckley also featured Child Passenger Safety and the Governor's Column. The story and video can be found here.