Officials share tips on car seat safety

A common misconception when riding in a car with your child is if your child is safe when they are in a car seat. Many factors come into play such as if is the car seat properly installed.

That was the unfortunate result of Monday night’s car crash as a six-month-old infant was ejected from its seat and sent to the hospital.

The two-car collision happened at the intersection of 24th Street and Avenue A in Yuma. While there is still no word on the child’s condition, we do wonder if the child’s car seat had been properly installed, would he or she have been taken to the hospital?

Ryan Butcher of the Injury Prevention Program at the Yuma County Health Department shares some tips on what to look out for in regards to your kids’ safety when riding in the car.

“So I think one of the most important things is to know what type of car seat they need to put their child in. It’s important to know that any child that’s under the age of two should be rear facing as long as possible until they reach the upper height and weight limits of the seat. The car seat should not move more than one-inch side to side, front or back. The Yuma County Health District has car seat classes. You can call us to set up a one-on-one inspection,” said Butcher.

Next week is National Child Passenger Safety Week and the Yuma County Health Department plans on posting guidelines and more tips on how to keep your child safe on their Facebook page.