The Colorado Springs Police Department launches new program for children safety
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Police Department is partnering with Safe Kids Colorado Springs to launch a new program. It's called the child occupant safety program, which aims to keep kids in cars safe, especially at risk of accidents.
The new program will give parents and caregivers in the community free car seat and booster installation checks to ensure their seats are 100 percent secure. The program aims to reduce injuries in motor vehicle crashes and prevent death and injuries of children caused by improper restraint in motor vehicle crashes.
It's designed to provide readily available resources to the community. If you want to participate, bring your car seat booster, its manual, and your vehicle manual. Also, be sure to know the current weight and height of your child or children. Be prepared to learn and perform the process of how to install a child safety seat from certified car seat technicians.
Colorado Springs Police Department says eighty percent of car seats are not properly installed.
New data reveals a startling trend of child deaths on Colorado Springs roadways.
Last year, seven kids under the age of seven died in a crash.
That's why police and Safe Kids Colorado are working to help families make sure their car seats are installed properly.
“We're looking at the car seat age if it can withstand a crash. So even though a child's in a car seat, if the, you know, the straps, the latch system, etc., that's hooking up to the car seat or to the car itself, if those are deteriorated, ripped if they're past their life if it's been involved in a crash before, says Lieutenant Jason Reeser, Colorado Springs Police.
Officers say many people don't realize their car seat is outdated or incompatible with their car.
"Make sure that the back and bottom of the child is all the way back. I'm gonna start from the bottom and connect both of these buckle inserts into the buckle,” Amanda Abramczyk-thill, injury prevention specialist with Children's Hospital, demonstrated.
if the child's head is only an inch from the top of the car seat, they have outgrown it.
"So some things we often see either a really loose harness or that chest clip instead of at armpit level, it's down at the belly. And if you think about two things, the belly is really soft, and it's a lot harder up here where the sternum is. So that in and of itself can absorb more of the crash forces without causing internal damage, says Abramczyk-thill.
In Colorado, you must weigh at least one hundred pounds to sit in the front seat.
If you cannot afford a car seat, Safe Kids Colorado has resources to help.
Appointments are available at all four Colorado Springs police substations throughout the city. That includes Sand Creek off South Academy Blvd., Gold Hill off Moreno Ave., Falcon off Goddard St., and Stetson Hills off Tutt Blvd. The process will take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes.
For more information about the new program, click here.
