It’s easy to see when kids outgrow clothes, cribs, and tricycles, but do you know the signs that your child needs to move to a new car seat or booster?
According to Colorado State Trooper Tim Sutherland, 48 children under age eight were killed in vehicle crashes in the state from 2015 to 2019. Ensuring a child has the correct car seat is vital in car safety.
Car Seats Colorado and the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) are helping parents and guardians make safe car seat choices this September during National Child Passenger Safety Month. Working with Denver Great Kids Head Start, the safety organizations are bringing an interactive 3D height chart to locations around the city and educating families about proper seat fit.
Kids will enjoy seeing how they measure up against animals native to Colorado, such as the jackrabbit, North American beaver, and Colorado black bear. Parents will find information, in English and Spanish, about best practices on proper car seat fit.
It’s more than just a child’s height that plays a role in proper fit — age and weight are also important. Car Seats Colorado offers these additional tips:
- Height, weight, and development all play a role in determining appropriate fit.
- Children under 13 should be in the back seat whenever possible.
- Children under three years old should be in rear-facing car seats as long as possible.
- Always read the car seat and vehicle owners manuals.
- Remember that Colorado’s summer heat and sun can weaken plastics used in many seats. Check expiration dates on the seat labels.
- If possible, have your seat checked by a certified child passenger safety technician. To find a fit station any time, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Car Seat Inspection page.
- Register with the NHTSA to be notified if your car seat is in recall.
“We hope this display will raise the visibility of the issue and help parents make informed decisions to keep their children protected,” Sutherland says
The height chart will be on display at the following Denver Great Kids Head Start site locations. Swedish Medical Center staff will also offer onsite car seat checks (by appointment) and educational resources to Head Start families.
Sept. 7 through 10: Clayton Early Learning, 3751 Martin Luther King Blvd., Denver
Sept. 13 through 17: Catholic Charities of Denver Quigg Newton Campus, 4440 Navajo St., Denver
Need to toss an old car seat? Recycle it at one of these Car Seat Recycling Program locations; Denver’s drop off is at WeeCycle on South Havana Street, on Thursdays and the last Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon.
