At the beginning of March this year, the Occupant Protection Program of the Virgin Islands Office of Highway Safety, provided training to 33 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians. The technicians from the Virgin Islands police and fire departments, the V.I. Department of Human Services, Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center, and the Schneider Regional Medical Center attended the course. They are now able to provide a professional car seat installation service to parents which will help ensure that children are at a decreased risk for road accident-related injuries.
Incorrect Installation Poses Grave Danger
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as many as 46% of all baby car seats and booster seats are not installed correctly. Some of the most common installation mistakes include incorrect strap positioning, a loose installation, a loose harness, and an incorrectly routed seat belt. A range of injuries can be sustained when a car seat is incorrectly installed. This includes broken bones, choking, bruising, spinal cord and back injuries, whiplash, and traumatic brain injuries.
Prevention is Better than Cure
The only way to avoid a car seat causing or exacerbating injuries is to make sure that it is correctly installed. The training offered at the certification course was geared towards enabling the technicians to swiftly identify car seat concerns and rectify them before they become a risk to a child. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts from parents to ensure that their children are safe in a car, accidents do happen. In the event that a child sustains injuries in a road accident, enlisting the services of a lawyer to assist with personal injury mediation is highly recommended. By doing so, parents will have the best possible chance of obtaining full compensation from the guilty party.
Knowledge is Power
Arming parents with the knowledge to choose the right car seats for their children can play a big role in decreasing the number of child injuries and fatalities on the road. Apart from being able to provide support to parents in their daily professional capacities, the newly-certified technicians will also go out into various communities and assist parents in acquiring the correct car seat and installing it properly. In a recent interview, Daphne O’Neal the director of the V.I. Office of Highway Safety stated: “Our goal is to empower parents and to eliminate crash-related injuries caused by improper restraints for all children.”
Car seats are designed to keep children safe while traveling in cars. They are, however, only effective when they are installed correctly from the get-go.