The fine for breaking Delaware’s child restraint law is $25. But, as Bayhealth Senior Director of Emergency and Trauma Services Sandee Gelven, MSN, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, explains, violating it can result in much greater costs for you and your loved ones — critical injury and even death.
“Unfortunately, our Bayhealth Emergency Departments see critically injured children and fatalities that are a direct result of the children not being restrained in a car or because the restraints, such as car seats, weren’t used properly,” said Gelven. “This is heart-breaking for all involved.”
According to Delaware law and as stated on the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) website, “all children must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat appropriate for the child’s age, weight and height up to 8 years of age or 65 pounds, whichever comes first. Additionally, children 8 through 15 years old are required to be properly secured in a seatbelt. And children under 12 years old or 65 inches in height are still required to sit in the back seat if there are active airbags in the front passenger seating position.”
“If cost is the reason for not restraining a child, there are programs available where car seats may be obtained for as little as $20 and those receiving state assistance may not need to pay at all,” Gelven said. According to Delaware OHS Fitting Station Coordinator Shannon Powers, Delaware OHS offers two such programs. One provides car seats on a case-by-case basis in exchange for a $20 donation to help offset the cost of the program, and the other is offered through a partnership with Safe Kids Delaware, in which people who are working with a social worker or case worker are eligible to receive a pink voucher. After completing the voucher and meeting with a representative of OHS to become better educated on car seat safety, they may receive a car seat for $20.
In addition to the guidelines outlined by law, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents keep their children in rear-facing car seats until age 2 or until they reach the maximum weight and height for their particular car seat. This is also often recommended by car seat manufacturers. The AAP recommendations also say “most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet, 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.” This is because the vehicle seat belt was made to fit adults, not children.
Statistics published on the OHS website state “children are five times safer riding rear-facing than forward-facing.” The OHS also reports that “four out of five safety seats in Delaware are not installed correctly.” To ensure your car seat(s) is installed properly, you can have the OHS check it for free.
Visit http://www.ohs.delaware.gov/carseat.shtml to find a car seat fitting station near you and for other tips related to the proper installation and use of car seats and seat belts with children. Bayhealth also offers car seat safety tips as part of its Infant Care class. Visit bayhealth.org/classes or call 302-744-7135 to learn more.
