You Seat I Seat

Police help motorists with car seats
Sunday, August 12, 2007


[Image left courtesy of nhtsa.dot.gov]







By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

It's not enough to buy your child a great car seat -- you have to install it right, too.

Police Capt. Ron Klein and Sgt. Jim Walters of Little Ferry set up shop in the parking lot of a Starbucks on Route 46 Saturday to help motorists learn how to do just that. Nearly 20 drivers came to the Child Safety Event for a car seat inspection and, in most cases, a proper re-installation of loose seats.

"People don't understand how the car seats work in the car," Klein said. "We see what happens when it's not done right."

Kelly Ydrovo of Rochelle Park brought her car in for a check after re-installing a seat for her 4-year-old daughter, Jacqueline. "We're going on vacation next week, so we wanted to make sure she's safe," she explained.

"It's not just installation we do," said Fair Lawn police Officer Tim Franco. "It's education."

"We see people drive by with car seats, and we wanted to help look out for the safety of children," said Starbucks store manager Darlene McKnight. So McKnight, a Garfield resident, asked the Little Ferry Police Department to have an event in the coffee shop's parking lot.

Franco decided to lend a hand to the event after receiving an e-mail from the Bergen County Office of Highway Safety that asked for certified volunteers.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com

Installation tips
• The 1 inch test: A properly installed seat should not budge more than one inch when pushed from side to side by an adult.
• The one finger test: You should not be able to fit more than one finger between the child's clavicle and the strap. Make sure to readjust the strap after the winter, when clothes are thicker.
• Leveled harness: The harness retainer clip should be at armpit level. If it is at the belly button, the child could fly out of the chair.
• Heavy weight: When installing, an adult should put his or her weight on the seat to compress the cushion below and pull the seat belt strap as tight as possible.
Source: Fair Lawn police Officer Tim Franco and Little Ferry police Capt. Ron Klein.

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