c2c | toddler {2-3 YEARS}
Car Seat Safety: Common Misconceptions Leave Our Kids at Risk BY CHRISTINA LYNCH
As a parent, you do everything you can to protect your child — including putting them in a car seat. But did you know that there really isn’t much of a difference between that $50 Cosco seat and the $450 Nuna Rava? They all have to meet the same National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. When choosing a seat, it’s smarter to focus on fit, not price. “The safest car seat is one that fits your child (height, weight and developmental needs), fits your car, and that you can safely and correctly install and use every time,” said Denise Devonish, Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and owner of DMD Health and Safety Training Services. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for children and young adults ages 3 through 19; and unfortunately, it is estimated that 46% of car seats and booster seats are misused in a way that reduces their effectiveness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We all have the best intentions, but regrettably, car seat safety courses aren’t a requirement for having a baby, and there is a lot of bad information out there about car seat best practices. Devonish said that the most common misconception she hears from parents is regarding when a child should be turned from rear facing to forward facing. “A child should remain
rear facing as long as the child is able to, based on the car seat recommendations,” she said. For example, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight has a 40-pound, 44-inch rear-facing limit, meaning that a child within those limits can safely rear face, regardless of age or if their legs look cramped.
LOCAL CONTACTS TO HAVE YOUR CHILD’S CAR SEAT CHECKED BY A CPST Partnership for Strong Families 5950 NW 1st Place Suite A Gainesville, FL 32607 (352) 244-1500 University of Florida OPRC 2100 NE Waldo Road 106 Gainesville, FL 32609 (352) 273-1675 Alachua County WIC Program 224 SE 24th St. Gainesville, FL 32641 (352) 225-4354
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Alachua County Health Department 1. 224 SE 24th Street Gainesville, FL 32643 (352) 225-4354 2. 910 NW 57th St. Gainesville, FL 32605 (352) 225-4010 Gainesville Fire Rescue 1. 3223 NW 42nd Ave., Alachua, FL 32605 (352) 393-8461 2. 1025 NE 13th St. Gainesville, FL 32601 (352) 393-8461
GIGGLEMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL/MAY 2020
Healthy Start 204 W. University Ave., 3rd Floor, Suite B Gainesville, FL 32601 (352) 337-1200 UF/Healthy Families 6011 NW 1st Place, #20 Gainesville, FL 32607 (352) 294-5523 DMD Health and Safety Training Services 1116 NE 10th Place Gainesville, FL 32601 (352) 641-0611
University of Florida – UFTI T2 Center 2100 NE Waldo Road, Bldg 1604, Suite 106 Gainesville, FL 32609 (352) 273-1670 University of Florida Police Department 1515 Museum Road Gainesville, FL 32612 (352) 392-1409
