Are Your Kids Ready For Summer Travel? Top Tips to Help Keep Kids Safe in Cars This Summer from Buckle Up for Life
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Barbecues, fireworks, s’mores and swimming – they’re summer classics.
They rarely change because when you know something works, you stick with
it. You know what else stands the test of time? Car seat safety tips.
However, a staggering three out of four car seats are incorrectly
installedi. This is so alarming because
motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death among
childrenii. The good news is that a properly installed car
seat can help dramatically reduce injury and prevent death. That’s why Buckle
Up for Life, the national car seat safety program from
Cincinnati Children’s and Toyota, is sharing the following tips, just in
time for the busy summer road trip season.
-
Always use the “Inch Test” and the “Pinch Test”. Pinch the
car seat strap near the child’s shoulder; if you can pinch a wrinkle
in the fabric, tighten the strap until it is snug. For the “Inch
Test”, grab the car seat from the back and bottom and tug
from side to side and front to back. If the seat moves more than an
inch in either direction, tighten it. -
Never add towels or extra layers between the seat and your child. Car
seats can get hot in summer weather, but don’t pile up towels in your
child’s seat to keep them cool. Extra material could interfere with
the seat’s ability to restrain the child in the event of a crash, so
it is important to only use accessories and products specifically
approved for use by the seat’s manufacturer. -
Take time to cool off; then buckle up. If the car seat is hot
because of high summer temperatures, take some extra time to cool the
car down before placing your child in the seat. Test buckles to ensure
they are not hot, and if they are, open the windows or turn on the air
conditioner before buckling children in. Never leave children alone in
the car, especially in the summer, when temperatures can escalate
dangerously in a matter of minutes. -
Don’t rent a car seat. If you are renting a car this
summer, use your own car seat. When you rent a seat, you don’t know
important facts about its history that could affect its ability to
protect your child (e.g., expiration date, crash history,
etc.). The good news is that most airlines allow you to check your car
seat for free. -
Secure loose items in the car. Make sure all loose items –
including summer travel essentials such as beach chairs, coolers,
umbrellas and suitcases – are tightly secured in your vehicle. These
objects could become projectiles in the event of a crash.
“During the summer, families are out and about for many fun activities –
which can mean more time on the road,” said Gloria DelCastillo, child
passenger safety expert at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
and senior specialist for Buckle Up for Life. “We hope
everyone takes the time to put these car seat tips in action to help our
littlest passengers stay safe this summer and beyond.”
The tips are part of Buckle Up for Life’s mission to educate
families about the proper use of car seats and seat belts and provide
free car seats to families in need.
About Buckle Up for Life
Buckle Up for Life is a national injury prevention program for
families, created by Toyota and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical
Center in 2004, to help keep child passengers safe. The program teaches
parents and children about the proper use of car seats and seat belts
and provides free car seats to families in need. Through partnerships
with the leading pediatric hospitals in the country, Buckle Up for
Life has reached more than 23,000 people in 14 cities, including New
York, Memphis, Phoenix, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, Las Vegas, Los
Angeles, Philadelphia, Orange County, and San Antonio – and expands to
new partners each year. In one city alone, the program nearly tripled
the use of proper car seats in participating families. Toyota has
provided funding for over 40,000 car seats for families in need. For
more information about Buckle Up for Life, please visit www.buckleupforlife.org.
About Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation
among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s
2015 Best Children’s Hospitals. It is also ranked in the top 10 for all
10 pediatric specialties, including a #1 ranking in pulmonology and #2
in cancer and in nephrology. Cincinnati Children’s, a non-profit
organization, is one of the top three recipients of pediatric research
grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a research and
teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
The medical center is internationally recognized for improving child
health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated,
globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional
information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.
Connect on the Cincinnati
Children’s blog, via Facebook
and on Twitter.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius, is
committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our
Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more
than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14
manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American
dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and
trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80
percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on
the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country,
with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this
commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from
building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other
nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Contacts
For Buckle Up for Life
Amy Schultz, 646-805-2825
amy.schultz@finsbury.com
