Did You Know?• Allchildrenunder13shouldrideinthebackseat.Generally,children

13yearsandoldercansafelyridebuckledupinthefrontseat.

• Expectantmothersshouldwearthelapbeltacrossthehipsandbelowthebellywiththeshoulderbeltacrossthechest(betweenthebreasts).

• Florida’sPrimarySafetyBeltLawpassedonJune30,2009.Thismeansofficersmaystopmotorvehiclesforfrontseatoccupantsoroccupantsunder18failingtowearsafetybelts.Ticketswillbeissued.TheChildRestraintLawhasalwaysbeenaprimarylaw.Anydrivercanbestoppedfornothavingachildunderagefourinachildseat.

• Manypeopletendtomovetheirchildtothenextstepofrestraintsoonerthanneeded.Remembertokeepyourchildintherightsizechildsafetyseatorboosterseatuntilthesafetybeltfitscorrectly.

Step 1 Rear-Facing Seats:

Forthebestpossibleprotection,placeinfantsinthebackseatofyourvehicleinrear-facingchildsafetyseats.Rear-facingseatsarethesafestwaytotransportaninfantandshouldbeuseduntilthechildnolongermeetstheheightorweightlimitoftheparticularseat.

Step 2 Forward-Facing Seats:

Whenchildrenoutgrowtheirrear-facingseats,(atleastage1andatleast20pounds)theyshouldrideinforward-facingchildsafetyseatsinstalledinthebackseatofthecar.Theyshouldcontinueridingintheforward-facingseatuntiltheyreachtheupperweightorheightlimitoftheparticularseat(usuallyaroundage4and40pounds).

Step 3 Booster Seats:

Oncechildrenoutgrowtheirforward-facingseats,(usuallyaroundage4and40pounds)theyshouldrideinboosterseatsinthebackseatofthecar.Theyshouldcontinueridinginboosterseatsuntilthevehiclesafetybeltsfitproperly.Safetybeltsfitproperlywhenthelapbeltliesacrosstheupperthighsandtheshoulderbeltfitsacrossthechest(usuallyatage8orwhenthechildrenare4899tall).

Step 4 Safety Belts:

Whenchildrenoutgrowtheirboosterseats,(usuallyatage8orwhentheyare4899tall)theycanusetheadultsafetybeltsinthebackseat,iftheyfitproperly(lapbeltliesacrosstheupperthighsandtheshoulderbeltfitsacrossthechest).Children13andoldercanridebuckledupinthefrontseat.

Accordingto

researchbythe

NationalHighway

TrafficSafety

Administration,

threeoutoffour

childsafetyseatsare

improperlyinstalled.

Failuretoreadthe

childsafetyseatinstructions,inadditionto

vehicleownermanualinstructionsregarding

installation,couldresultinseriousinjuryor

deathasaresultofanimproperlyinstalled

childsafetyseat.

The Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)systemmakeschildsafety

seatinstallationeasier—withoutusing

safetybelts—andisrequiredonchildsafety

seatsandmostvehiclesmanufacturedafter

September1,2002.(LATCHisnotrequired

forboosterseats,carbedsandvests.)

AttachmentsonaLATCH-equippedchild

safetyseatfastentoloweranchorsanda

tetheranchorinaLATCH-equippedvehicle.

Thetoptetherstrapislocatedatthetoprear

ofconvertiblechildsafetyseats,forward-

facingtoddlerseats,andcombinationseats.

Mostrear-facinginfantseatsdonothave

atoptetherstraporhookastheydonot

generallyusethisequipmentforinstallation.

Theloweranchorstrapsareattachedto

therearofthechildsafetyseat.MostU.S.

childsafetyseatscomewithflexiblelower

attachments.Afewmodelsofchildsafety

seatshaverigidlowerattachments.Most

LATCH-equippedvehicleshavelower

anchorsintherightandleftrearseat

positions.Ifthecenterseatdoesn’thave

loweranchors,youcaninstallyourchild

safetyseatsecurelyusingasafetybelt.

Besuretocarefullyreadyourvehicle

owner’smanualtofindoutwheretheLATCH

indicatorsandhooksarelocatedinyour

particularvehicleandtoavoidconfusing

themwithothervehiclehardwaresuchas

luggagetie-downs.Childsafetyseatsthatare

notLATCH-equippedorareolderthanfive

yearsshouldnotbeused.

It is important for parents to remember that they need to be good role models. If they always wear their safety belts, they will help their children form lifelong habits of buckling up.

Child Safety Seat Installation

Child Safety

Seats and Safety Belts

Formaximumchildpassengersafety,parentsandcaregiversshouldrefertothefollowingguidelines

fordeterminingwhichrestraintsystemisbestsuitedtoprotectchildrenbasedontheiragesandsizes.

Childrenofallages,frominfantstogradeschoolers,tendtomovetothenextstepofrestraintsoonerthan

theyneedto.Someinfantsaremovedoutoftheirrear-facingrestraintstoosoon,andsometoddlers

aremovedoutoffront-facingchildseatsbeforethey’rebigenoughforboosters.The

guidelinesarelistedbelow:

There’s More…Formoreinformationonchildsafetyseatsandsafetybelts,pleasevisitwww.flhsmv.gov/fhp/cpsandwww.nhtsa.dot.gov.

ThisbrochurewasprovidedbytheFloridaDepartmentofHighwaySafetyandMotorVehiclesandfundedbytheFloridaDepartmentofTransportation.

TheDepartmentofHighwaySafetyandMotorVehiclesandtheFloridaDepartmentofTransportationareworkingtoensureeveryoneisproperlysecuredandsafeeverytrip,everytime.Simplyput,no trip is too short to not buckle up!

Inthisbrochureyouwillfindlife-saving

information.Pleasereadcarefullyand

rememberthereisnoneedtosacrificesafety

whenwecanallbecomebetterinformedonhowtoproperly

protectourlovedonesandourselveswhenbehindthewheelofacar.

Low-Back Booster Seat High-Back Booster Seat

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DHSMV-Broch.indd 1 9/15/09 3:41 PM