REMSA ASKS “ARE YOU BIG ENOUGH FOR A BOOSTER SEAT”
AT POINT OF IMPACT CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY SEAT INSPECTION

May 20, 2004 - REMSA (Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority) and SAFE KIDS Washoe County will host a Point of Impact child safety seat inspection and replacement program this weekend at the South Valley’s Library (part of Washoe County Library System) in Reno. Trained staff and REMSA volunteers will be inspecting child car seats for correct installation and usage to make sure all children of families in our community leave safely.

This safety seat inspection will be the last one in northern Nevada prior to the new booster seat law going into effect on June 1 requiring children up to age six and weighing 60 pounds or less to be restrained properly by a booster seat in a motor vehicle. REMSA will have scales available to the checkpoint to see if children are big enough for a booster seat.

The checkpoint will be held at the South Valley’s Library, 15650A Wedge Parkway on Saturday, May 22, 2004 beginning at 11 a.m. Be sure to be in line early as we can only accept the first 50 cars.

According to the National SAFE KIDS campaign, 99% of all children eight years and under are improperly restrained. In Washoe County, 98% of children are improperly restrained. The National SAFE KIDS campaign recommends the use of child safety seats until children are 40 pounds and then the use of booster seats until children are 8 years old and 80 pounds or four feet nine inches tall. In addition, children ages two to five who are restrained in adult safety belts are three and a half times more likely to suffer a serious injury and greater than four times more likely to suffer a serious head injury than children of the same ages who are restrained in child safety seats.

REMSA’s Point of Impact child safety seat inspection and replacement program regularly hosts checkpoints where safety seats are inspected for correct installation and usage. Car seats and booster seats found to be unsafe or on a national or manufacturer’s recall list will be removed, destroyed and replaced at reduced costs and/or free of charge to qualifying families. This program is funded in part from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.

Last month, REMSA inspected 89 child safety seats, 3 of which arrived installed correctly. REMSA also distributed 23 new child safety seats for those in need.

For more information about upcoming checkpoints please call 858-KIDS, or go to REMSA’s website at www.remsa-cf.com

450 Edison Way Reno, Nevada 89502 (775)858-5700 Fax (775)858-5720