Car Sear Safety: A Letter from a Reader
We were very sad to receive this letter from Lisa Sewell of the Coweta County Car Seat Coalition and realize an error made on our part in the November issue of ParentLife. With her permission, we're printing her letter here so that you might learn more about car seat safety.
Hello, I am a nationally certified child passenger safety technician who assists law enforcement with car seat safety as a civilian volunteer. Part of my responsibility is toward educating the public. It is because of this that I noticed something that I see all too often and sadly costs children their lives. On page 24, I was shocked to see [a photo with] each of the three children using seat belts, when they should have been in either a car seat with a five-point harness, or a booster seat at the very least, judging from their size.
Seat belts kill and injure due to their positioning, which in this case is the neck (decapitation) and the belly (massive internal injuries). At times, the lap portion of the belt can go right through the child's abdomen, severing their spine. In our monthly car seat class we show a power point and video with images that show actual injuries to children's abdomen and internal organs. Most children are so uncomfortable riding this way that they take that seat belt and tuck it under their arm or behind their backs, further sealing their fates in a crash.
Kindly issue a warning in a future issue regarding the danger posed by the example of the children riding with seat belts only. In our state (GA) this is a ticketable offense in addition to the danger posed to the children. Every state has certified car seat techs through either local police, fire departments, hospitals, or Safe Kids coalitions. Many of us are volunteers with a passion for keeping kids safe. My passion for Christ makes this a ministry effort since I am sharing the love of Jesus in helping families via car seat safety.
Blessings,
Lisa Sewell
