Rusty Ricker, Interim Chief
47 Central Street
Georgetown, MA 01833
For Immediate Release
Monday, Sept. 21, 2015
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Georgetown Fire Department Offers Child Seat Safety Tips to the Community
GEORGETOWN — Interim Chief Rusty Ricker and the Georgetown Fire Department would like to remind residents of child seat safety tips to ensure the safety of all children while traveling in a motor vehicle.
The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires that all children sit in a federally approval car seat or booster, which must be properly fastened and secured, until they are 8 years old or over 57 inches tall. It is recommended that children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat.
All infants and toddlers should be in rear-facing car seats until they reach the age of 2 years old, or the weight and height limit issued by the manufacturer. Toddlers and preschoolers should be placed in convertible and forward-facing seats equipped with a harness. Once school-aged children outgrow their forward-facing seats, they should sit in a booster until they are old enough to wear a seat belt.
“It is extremely important to be sure that children are properly buckled into an appropriate car seat for the safety of everyone in the vehicle,” Interim Chief Ricker said. “We encourage all residents to make note of these safety tips and to call the Fire Department with any questions or for assistance.”
According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, 75 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly, and motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury for all children. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 638 children 12 years old and younger were killed in motor vehicle accidents in 2013, and that more than 127,250 were injured.
Properly securing your child in an age and size appropriate car seat greatly lowers the risk of serious and fatal injuries. The CDC reports that:
- Car seats reduce the risk of death to infants by 71 percent, and to toddlers between ages 1 to 4 by 54 percent.
- Booster seats decrease the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children 4 to 8 years old when compared with solely seat belt use.
The Georgetown Fire Department will install car seats for free for residents who need assistance. To schedule an appointment call the station at 978-352-5757 or email Donna Robbins at DRobbins@georgetownMa.gov.
Click here for a message on child safety seats from mass.gov. or to find a checkup event, visit www.mass.gov/childsafetyseats.
###
