CAR SEAT SAFETY Safety tips and requirements.

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. But many of these deaths can be prevented by properly using child car seats. Every parent and caregiver is responsible to ensure that all children under their care are as safe as can possibly be at all times. While riding in a motor vehicle, the only way to do this is to ensure the child is properly restrained. Children under 12 years old don’t belong in the front seat!

Statistics Car seat safety tips

• Car seat use reduces the risk for death to infants • Always follow your car seat’s height and weight (aged <1 year) by 71%; and to toddlers (aged 1–4 limits. years) by 54% in passenger vehicles. • Make sure your car seat can be correctly installed in • Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious your vehicle. injury by 45% for children aged 4–8 years when • Keep the retainer clip (chest clip) fastened at armpit compared with seat belt use alone. level - not over their belly. • For older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by approximately half.

The timeline of car seat requirements

• Children under 2 years old should always be in a rear-facing seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children who are over 2 years old or who have outgrown their rear-facing car seats use a forward-facing seat with a harness until they reach the highest weight allowed by the forward-facing seat’s manufacturer. • ​Children who have reached the height and weight limit for a forward-facing seat must use a belt-positioning booster seat in the rear seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches in height, typically between 8 and 12 years of age, when the vehicle seat belt fits properly. • Children over 13 may ride in the front seat, with the seat belt properly strapped.

What about if you get into a crash?

Recent studies demonstrate that child safety seats can withstand minor crash impacts without any documented degradation in subsequent performance. Read and follow your manufacturer’s guidelines. • The NHTSA recommends that child safety seats do not automatically need to be replaced following a minor crash, defined as a crash where ALL of these criteria are met: • The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site • The vehicle door nearest the safety seat was undamaged • There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants • The air bags (if present) did not deploy • There is no visible damage to the safety seat CAR SEAT SAFETY Car seat inspection locations

The Louisiana offers child car seat inspections for the public:

Troop A: Every Tuesday from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Troop A headquarters. Appointments are encouraged. 17801 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70810 Trooper First Class Bryan Lee: (225) 754-8524

Troop B: Every Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. at Troop B headquarters. No appointment necessary on Wednesdays. Appointment required any other time. 2101 I-10 Service Road, Kenner, LA 70065 Trooper First Class Melissa Matey: (504) 471-2780

Troop C: Every second and fourth Thursday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. by appointment only. 4047 West Park Avenue, Gray, LA 70359 Trooper First Class Evan Harrell: (985) 857-3683

Troop D: By appointment only. Call Sergeant James Anderson to schedule. 805 Main Street, Lake Charles, LA 70615 Sergeant James Anderson: (337) 491-2932

Troop E: Every day, 24/7. Appointments are encouraged. 1710 Odom Street, Alexandria, LA 71301 Master Trooper Scott Moreau: (318) 769-9577

Troop F: Every day, 24/7. Appointments are encouraged. 1240 LA Hwy 594, Monroe, LA 71203 Senior Trooper Michael Reichardt: (318) 557-5174

Troop G: Every day, 24/7. Appointments are encouraged. 5300 Industrial Drive Extension, Bossier City, LA 71112 Trooper First Class Matt Harris: (318) 741-7411

Troop I: Every Wednesday from 8 a.m until noon, or by appointment. 121 East Pont Des Mouton, Lafayette, LA 70507 Master Trooper Brooks David: (337) 262-1917

Troop L: Every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. No appointment necessary. 2600 No. Causeway, Mandeville, LA 70471 Trooper Dustin Dwight: (985) 893-6250

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission provides information on car seat safety, along with a statewide map of the regional coordinators and their contact information.