Crime & Safety

Herndon Police Urge Parents to Follow Passenger Safety Rules

Passenger Safety Week teachers parents and caregivers about proper passenger safety rules for children

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3-6 and 8-14, according to the Herndon Police Department.

The Herndon Police Department is urging all parents and caregivers to attend the National Seat Check Saturday event on Sept. 25 as part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which is held from Sept. 19-25.

The Herndon Police Department will have certified technicians available to provide on-site child safety seat inspections and education from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 494 Elden St. in the K-Mart Shopping Center and from 2-5 p.m. at 1086 Elden St in the Dulles Park Shopping Center.

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"It's the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time," said Chief Toussaint E Summers, Jr.  "We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected. When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes."

In 2007, among children under 5, an estimated 358 lives were saved from the use of child safety seats and booster seats, according to a Herndon Police press release. If all children under the age of 5 were restrained, an additional 71 children would have been saved, the release stated.

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For maximum child passenger safety, Summers said parents and caregivers should refer to the following "4 Steps for Kids" guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size.

For the best possible protection, keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.

When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat, usually around age 4 and 40 pounds.

Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lies across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest, usually at age 8 or when they are 4'9" tall.

When children outgrow their booster seats, they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly

Herndon Police urge parents and caregivers to remember that all children younger than 13 years old should ride in the back seat.

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children, visit www.nhtsa.gov/cps.


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