MIDLOTHIAN, Va. — Much like the youngsters who sit down in them, McRae Brittingham says every version of infant protection seat is a touch bit different.
Brittingham, a state-licensed toddler passenger safety technician, is hopeful Virginia mother and father examine the proper manner to install vehicle seats beforehand of a trade in Virginia law requiring rear-going through protection seats till an infant reaches a positive age.
“A $500 seat received’t guard your toddler if it’s not established well,” Brittingham said. “The biggest issue approximately car seat protection: read your vehicle manual, examine your automobile seat guide, after which figure out how they paintings collectively.”
Virginia’s new baby seat regulation was passed in 2018 however takes effect July 1, 2019. State officials wanted to provide parents and households time to regulate to the exchange.
The policy “prohibits infant restraint devices from being ahead-facing until, at least, the kid reaches years of age or until the child reaches the minimum weight restriction for a forward-going through child restraint tool.”
Doctors also can decide if it is impractical for a kid to sit in a rear-dealing with the seat because of the child’s peak.
Research with the aid of the American Academy of Pediatrics shows kids are 75% less in all likelihood to die or get severely injured in an accident when their seat is rear-dealing with.
“The back of the seat cradles their spines. In ahead going through function, their heads are going to flop ahead in a crash, and this is going to cradle them,” Brittingham said. “We’d rather have broken legs than a broken neck.”
A violation of the kid protection seat law is a primary offense, meaning a police officer can pull a driving force over and deliver them a ticket without a separate violation.
A $50 civil penalty pleasant is imposed for failure to have a child in a child restraint tool, and any man or woman found guilty a second or next time, on unique dates, can be fined as much as $500, in step with the Virginia Department of Health.
Brittingham stated most dad and mom realize the difficulty of properly installing an automobile seat and mistakes are smooth to make.
“I don’t realize if I’ve ever checked a seat that didn’t at least have something wrong,” she said.
Parents and families can installation appointments with specialists like Brittingham to test their automobile seats and get help from a professional. The Virginia Department of Health has a list of locations you may go to get your safety seat checked out.
Free child protection and booster seats are also to be had for human beings of low earnings through VDH software. You must qualify and practice for this system.
“How lots your child weighs, how tall they’re, what kind of automobile you have, what number of other children are in the car, that each one plays into what’s the nice seat for you. There’s no ‘the best seat,'” Brittingham said.
Brittingham, who operates Aunt McRae’s family help organization, shows parents hold their child seat rear facing till they flip three or four years antique.
“Kids rear dealing with usually continue to exist lots higher than everybody else in the automobile,” she said.
Jennifer Meade and her children visited Brittingham for an automobile seat inspection Tuesday and said she is happy that she did.
“The car seats preserve tipping a touch bit. I idea I knew the whole lot. Apparently, I don’t,” Meade stated. “Even if you’ve examined up on everything and also you’ve hooked up your vehicle seat the way it’s presupposed to, I still advise coming here due to the fact you may have one mistake that might price you the entirety.”
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