Westboro Toyota’s Tips for Keeping Children Safe in Their Car Seats and Seat Belts

Westboro Toyota wants to make sure your kids are safe in their booster seats, car seats and seat belts. Sadly, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which says, too, that many of these deaths are preventable. “Placing children in age- and size-appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half,” it states on its website.

In 2009, more than 1,300 children ages 14 years old and younger died in motor vehicle crashes. Another 179,000 children across the United States were injured. Those statistics are according to the Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Perhaps a key contributor to the fatalities and deaths is the fact that child-restraint systems are often incorrectly used. According to another NHTSA study, 72 percent of nearly 3,500 car and booster seats were misused in a manner that was expected to increase a child’s risk of injury in the event of a collision.

While these are frightening statistics, they are a call to action for parents and caregivers. Thankfully, there are many resources—starting with the Westborough Fire Department (W.F.D.)—that offer potentially life-saving guidance.

The W.F.D. offers free inspections of children’s car seats to make sure they are properly installed. All you need to do is call (508) 366-3040 to schedule an appointment with one of the W.F.D’s trained technicians. 

Westboro Toyota urges everyone to take advantage of the W.F.D.’s expertise—The W.F.D. has gained much recognition over the years for being one of the most active and reliable check points here in Central Massachusetts!

Also, in the meantime, keep in mind these potentially life-saving tips from the CDC:

•            Always wear a seat belt and make sure the kids are buckled up, too. By setting a good example now for children, their good safety habits are more likely to stick with them into adulthood.

•            Ensure that children are properly buckled in their seat belts or booster or car seats at all times, based on their age, height, and weight.

This means following the CDC’s guidelines, which state that:

•            birth through age two—children should be positioned and buckled into rear-facing child-safety seats;

•            between ages two to four or until the child reaches 40 pounds—buckled into a forward-facing car seat in the back seat;

•            between ages four to eight or until the child is four feet nine inches tall—buckled into a booster seat positioned in the back seat; and

•            after age eight and/or four feet nine inches tall—children should always be buckled into their seatbelts, and kids should still use a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits them properly (this means that the lap belt lays across the upper thighs—not the stomach—and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (not the neck), the CDC explains. 

The CDC also recommends that kids under 13 years old should always ride in the back seat because air bags can kill small children riding in the front seat. Also, the middle of the backseat is the safest spot, so it’s recommended that they ride there wherever possible.

Also, for more information visit Buckle Up for Life, a one-of-a-kind national campaign, co-sponsored by Toyota, that brings hospital safety curriculum to Hispanic and African American church congregations and offers ways to integrate safety lessons for drivers and passengers of all ages into sermons and Sunday school classes. According to a recent Toyota press release, black and Hispanic children are disproportionately at a higher risk in motor vehicle crashes.

The program also provides free child car safety seats and car seat inspections. After participating in the Buckle Up for Life program in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, the number of Hispanic adults and children using seat belts and car seats more than doubled, which is great news!

So, buckle up everyone, and don’t forget to book an appointment with the W.F.D. to have your car seat(s) inspected. 

And, if you’re in the market for a family vehicle that gets high marks, check out the Toyota Prius, Camry and Sienna, which were all recently named best family cars for 2012 by Parents magazine and Edmunds.com!

Plus, right now, Westboro Toyota’s Sounds of Summer Savings Event is going on, which means we’re offering $0 down leases on new Toyotas starting at just $219 per month or 0% financing for 60 months on a new 2012 Avalon, Highlander, Sienna, Rav 4, Tundra or Venza with approved credit. Plus, you can save up to $6,035 off the MSRP on new Toyotas starting at the low price of $15,426. This offer expires July 31, 2012, so stop by our showroom today!