Proper car seat safety a simple, important practice to protect young people

Recently, I have both heard and seen firsthand accounts of young children not properly protected in car seats. As a reminder, Wisconsin law states that children must ride in a rear-facing car seat until the age of 1 and weigh 20 pounds, children must ride in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until the age of 4 and weigh 40 pounds, and children must ride in a booster seat until the age of 8 or are 4 feet 9 inches tall. And of course, all older children and adults should always be wearing a seat belt.

While this might seem like common sense, it is always good to have a refresh on both what the legal standard is, and what the best practices are, and in this case the two go hand-in-hand.

Children’s Wisconsin offers a variety of resources for those who need assistance. Low-cost car seat distribution appointments are available on a limited basis. Call (414) 607-5280 to schedule an appointment. Appointments can also be scheduled to get a car seat checked/properly installed.

If you haven’t done so lately, make sure to check that the car seat your child uses is in proper working condition and secure! Given the high amount of reckless driving behavior we continue to see on our streets, doing so can be a life-saving act.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.