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NEWS! Beware of used car seats! Check out this Feb. 4, 2008 report from KOMO 4 News (Seattle) on rented car seats:
http://www.komotv.com/news/
Also check out the additional info page for the story:
http://www.komotv.com/news/ Safe Kids Skagit County Members: |
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Skagit County Medic One coordinates local injury prevention efforts as the proud sponsoring agency for Safe Kids Skagit County, a Washington state chapter of Safe Kids Worldwide.
Safe Kids Skagit County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. Its members and supporters include:
Safe Kids Skagit County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Skagit County was founded in 2001.
Check out this video from Safe Kids Worldwide and see what we're all about. Go to http://www.usa.safekids.org for more information.
Unintentional injuries are leading cause of death in the United States for children 14 and under. These injuries, such as head trauma due to being hit by cars or falling off a bike or from a vehicle crash, are those which usually can be prevented by giving more attention to safety.
Skagit County Medic One is a leader in child passenger safety and bicycle safety. You will see us at local events spreading information about our programs. You also will find us teaching CPR and First Aid at local schools and at events teaching parents on how to properly install and use a car seat.
Skagit County Medic One partners with the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club, Skagit County Community Action and other groups to get low cost car seats in the hands of parents who need them and to help them comply with Washington State’s child passenger safety laws. Although Washington State has one of the highest seat belt and child car seat compliance rates in the nation, too many children still are needlessly put at risk by not being put in a car seat or being in an improperly installed seat.
Skagit County Medic One works with its area partner fire departments and other government agencies to fit children with bike helmets. Skagit County Medic One also heads up the annual Tulip Pedal bike ride that raises money for bike safety and other injury prevention programs in Skagit County.
Skagit County Medic One’s commitment to community is expressed through our county-wide CPR and First Aid program for the public. Skagit County residents can take this 8-hour class for $5, which covers the cost of certification. The class covers adult, child and infant CPR and first aid, as well as automatic defibrillation.
Whether by saving people who have experienced disaster or helping to prevent disaster, Skagit County Medic One is in the business of saving lives.
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March is Poison Prevention Month. Check out our article in the Skagit Valley Herald here: www.goskagit.com/index.php/community/article/ keeping_children_safe_from_poisoning/
Safe Kids Worldwide
reports
While Washington state currently does not have a bike helmet law, many cities and towns have passed legislation requiring children 16 and under to wear helmets. Locally, the cities of Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, Burlington and Anacortes all have helmet ordinances in effect for those who ride motorized scooters.
Medic One encourages everyone wear a helmet while riding bikes, skateboards or scooters. We make low cost helmets available to all who need them. We also partner with area fire departments and other government agencies to bring helmets to local schools.
But it’s not only important to wear a helmet. It’s important to wear one that fits your or your child’s head properly.
Fit helmets by
performing the following checks:
We sell helmets at cost. Bike helmets for $7, and multi-sport helmets for $13. Our helmets are top-of-the-line and come in several cool colors. Make an appointment to have you and your child fitted with a helmet today. ......................................................................................[return to top]
Too often we read about children who have died in vehicle crashes. The sad fact is that most of these deaths could have been prevented.
In 2001, 1,579 children 14 and under nationwide died in car crashes. Officials estimate that half of these children could have been saved had they been placed in car seats or wore seat belts. In 2002, 227,000 children 14 and under nationwide were injured in vehicle crashes.
As of June 1, 2007, Washington state law requires that children up to their 8th birthday, unless they are 4' 9" tall (57 inches), be in an appropriate car seat. Current law also requires that children under 13 years old ride in the back seat where it is practical to do so.
Washington’s comprehensive car seat law has been in place since July 1, 2002. Despite this, too many parents do not put their children in car seats. Not having children in car seats can result in a $101 ticket from a law enforcement officer. More importantly, children can be seriously injured or killed in vehicle crashes while not secure in a car seat.
Washington state has one of the nation's highest car seat usage rates, but roughly 90 percent of car seats are installed incorrectly. Medic One’s certified car seat technicians are available to help answer your questions.
We work with the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club and Skagit County Community Action to get seats into the hands of parents who need them. For those receiving WIC benefits in Skagit County, we ask that you attend a one-hour class where we demonstrate how to properly and safely install your child's seat. After the class, parents will be asked to install their own seats. Technicians will be on hand to give pointers and to ensure seats are installed properly. Classes take place monthly at Skagit County Community Action, 330 Pacific Place, in Mount Vernon. Call (360) 416-7585 to make an appointment. Class sizes are limited. Cost is $5. Although every attempt is made to help all in need, our numbers of seats are limited and are available only on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For those who have an emergency need, please contact us. We are glad to help. For an appointment to learn how to install and use your child safety seat, send an e-mail to email@skagitems.com, or call 360-428-3236.
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Why should I use a
child passenger car seat?
Can I get a ticket for not having my child in a child passenger car seat? Yes. In Washington state, you can expect a fine of $101 PER CHILD in your vehicle should you get pulled over and ticketed by a law enforcement officer.
My child is 8 years old and weighs about 90 pounds. Does he need to be in a child passenger car seat? If a child is not four-feet, nine-inches tall, he or she MUST be in a child safety seat or a belt-positioning booster seat. We do recommend that children up to 80 pounds and 8 years old be in car seat, but if the child is at least 4’ 9” tall, they generally are ready to use the vehicle’s seat belt.
Why can’t my children use the car’s seat belt? Seat belts were made with adults in mind, not children. Children less than 4’ 9” tall usually will find that the lap belt rests on their stomach, not the lap, and the shoulder belt rests on their neck and not on the shoulder and across the chest. In an accident, a seat belt could severely injure or kill a child who is not big enough for the seat belt system.
I have heard that my child has a better chance of surviving a crash being thrown from the car than being trapped in it. Is this true? This is a common belief. But think about it. After your car has come to a sudden stop after a crash, everything in the car that is not secured continues to move at the speed at which the car was moving. That means if your child was not buckled up, and you were traveling at 30 miles an hour when you suddenly slammed into that bread truck in front of you, your child would fly through the car at 30 miles an hour. If your child is 50 pounds, that is 1,500 pounds of force passing through the vehicle.
My vehicle has only lap belts. Is my older child safe? Children and adults should use a shoulder belt to protect from injury to the head and spinal cord. If your vehicle was made prior to 1990, it may not have shoulder belts installed. Contact a local dealership or contact vehicle manufacturers on ordering retrofit kits.
I can’t afford a seat, so why should I get one? If you drive and have children, you don’t have a choice here. It’s the law. Standard car seats range $20 - $150 at any department store. If you cannot afford a seat, we have a limited number of low-cost seats available. Contact us for information about how you can purchase one.
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Car Seat Clinics
Car seat checks also are done by appointment at Skagit County Medic One. Call (360) 428-3236 to make an appointment. You also can call the Mount Vernon Police Department at (360) 336-6271, and the Mount Vernon Fire Department at (360) 336-6277 to schedule an appointment. Our technicians also speak to parent groups, daycares, schools and other entities about child passenger safety laws, best practices and other important information.
For more information about our county child passenger safety programs, contact Bill Craig, billc@skagitems.com or (360) 428-3236 or Joni McSpadden at (360) 708-5057. ......................................................................................[return to top]
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Get
your Safe Kids plush toy now! We have lots to choose from -- bears in
soccer balls, bears with butterfly wings, cats and many more. Cost is just
$5 and makes a great gift. Contact us at (360) 428-3236 or come by Skagit
County Medic One at 2911 E. College Way, Suite C, in Mount Vernon.
that more than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 (27.7 million)
ride bicycles. This age group rides 50 percent more than the average
bicyclist and accounts for approximately 21 percent of all bicycle-related
deaths, and nearly half of all bicycle-related injuries. It makes sense,
then, that a helmet is necessary.