BURRILLVILLE – Backseats are the safest place for children when riding in vehicles. Whether it’s a short drive to the corner grocery store or driving greater distances; backseats are for kids.
The risk of a child being severely injured in a crash is much greater when they are riding in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, even if they are wearing a seatbelt. It’s safer to wear a seatbelt and sit in the front passenger vehicle seat if you are at least 13 years old. Children 12 years old or younger should be properly restrained in the backseats in a booster seat, or buckled up with a seatbelt.
If an infant is riding in the backseat, then he or she needs to be properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat. preferably a car seat that has been properly installed and inspected by a state-certified car seat installer and inspector. Police departments statewide offer car seat check ups, and from time-to-time host car seat check up clinics during the year, especially, during the month of May and September of each year. Both of these months have federal buckle up and child passenger safety focus weeks reminding everyone about traffic safety statewide, regionally and nationally.
This week’s Buckleupallofus child passenger safety Sunday coloring cartoon displays a cool color-by-numbers format kids can color with adults while talking about the importance of safely buckling up in backseats. It’s fun and educational for children of all ages.
Have fun, and always buckle up!
Jim Weicherding is a Burrillville resident, and the founder and creator of an award-winning traffic safety effort Seasons of Safety. Weicherding contributes kids’ coloring cartoons, which can be printed and used to help parents discuss safety issues with their children. He has a long list of police officers and firefighters in his family and has worked with law enforcement and firefighters in a creative public safety capacity for more than two decades.
