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Don’t Let Car Seat Safety Take a Backseat

This Summer, JPMA Urges

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ, July 14, 2010 – Between excursions to the pool or beach, trips to day camp and road trips, your child’s travel time in a car seat is likely to increase during the summer months. Recognizing this upsurge in automobile drive time, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) offers parents and caregivers tips for keeping your child safe inside and outside the car.

According to a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, nearly 9,000 infants visit the emergency room annually due to car seat-related injuries occurring outside the vehicle. The study’s authors write that parents commonly leave the baby in a car seat without strapping him/her in, or set the seat somewhere on an elevated surface such as a table that puts the child at eye level. Both practices increase the chance that the child can slide out of the seat because he/she is not strapped in, and place the child at risk for head or neck injuries.

Hand-held infant carriers are popular due to the convenience of being able to transport the baby from the car to the stroller to the house. Because hand-held infant carriers are so portable, it is common for parents to carry baby into the home in a car seat, and then place the carrier on a counter or table. Bottom-line: An infant in a car seat placed on a high surface is at risk for an unintentional fall.

“Juvenile products should never take the place of attentive parenting,” said JPMA Executive Director Michael Dwyer, CAE. “Items intended for use with babies and toddlers can only enhance children’s safety if parents and caregivers use them correctly.”

Properly positioned in the car, infant car seats save thousands of lives each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers aged one to four years. JPMA reminds parents and caregivers of safety tips to ensure the proper installation and use of car seats and infant seats (which double as hand-held infant carriers):

• Always keep baby strapped in, and check the owner’s manual to be sure straps and buckles are fastened correctly.

• Never place an infant carrier on a table, counter or other elevated surface.

• If infant carriers are used out of the car, they should be placed on a hard, flat floor, where there is no danger of it falling over.

• Do not let baby sleep in the infant carrier placed in a crib. Remove the infant from the car seat before placing him/her in a crib.

• Do not store car seats in a garage, attic or basement, as the seat’s material can be susceptible, from extreme temperatures, to damage you may not easily notice.

• Always check that the car seat is properly and securely installed in the vehicle. A locking clip may be necessary. Read the vehicle owner’s manual for information on other belt accessories that may be required.

• The universally-accepted practice is to keep your child rear-facing until AT LEAST one year of age AND 20 pounds in weight. In fact, it is preferable to keep your child rear-

facing for as long as possible, which for most convertible car seats may mean until he/she grows to 30 or 35 pounds.

• Never use a car seat in a seating location with a frontal air bag.

• Be sure the car seat is appropriate for your child, given his/her height and weight. The NHTSA website, http://www.nhtsa.gov/, provides a detailed list of age, height and weight requirements.

• Many manufacturers now put “expiration” dates on their car seats. Six (6) years is the general recommendation, but some car seat manufacturers recommend varying expiration dates. The reasons for these limits involve possible degradation of the plastic shell and other parts, the possible loss/breakage of parts and the fact that older seats will often not meet current government safety standards.

• Do not use a care seat that was ever involved in a crash.

• Never buy a used car seat.

• Do not use a car seat missing the manufacturer’s label showing the manufacturer, model number and date of manufacture.

• Remember that the back seat is the safest place for children 12 and under to ride.

• Set a good example by making sure the entire family buckles up.

“JPMA’s commitment to creating a safe environment for children extends beyond the confines of the home, particularly when you’re shuttling them from place to place” said Brenda Berg, JPMA Chair and mother of two. “Knowing consumers look to the JPMA for guidance, we realize the importance of highlighting safety precautions parents and caregivers should observe while using car seats and other baby gear.”

For additional information or to find a child safety seat inspection station near you, please visit the “Child Safety” subsection of NHTSA’s website at http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS.

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About the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance certification and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children and retailers. Each year, JPMA sponsors Baby Safety Month in September and in 2010 JPMA is dedicating Baby Safety Month to safe sleep practices. JPMA initiated Baby Safety Month to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products.

To find out more information about the JPMA certification program, the products certified and a complete listing of JPMA members, please visit www.jpma.org . Follow JPMA on Twitter @JPMA or connect with JPMA via Facebook to learn about additional safety tips and JPMA initiatives.