Illegal or unsafe SPEED is a leading
contributing factor in Mn. fatal crashes
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SEATBELT SAFETY Facts about using each type of seat |
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Rear-Facing Seat
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Forward-Facing Seat
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Booster Seat
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Adult Seat Belt
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Pregnancy and Seat Belts
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http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/FOX_9_Archive_Room_to_Live
"CLICK IT OR TICKET” Saved a Life….
Jake Wingen, center, attended the MOD Squad briefing for the Safe & Sober Seat Belt Enforcement kick off to tell his story about how “Click It or Ticket” saved his life.
Just three weeks later, on January 21, Jake was a passenger in an SUV with 3 friends. They were headed out on Hwy. 60 by Morristown in the late afternoon. It was snowing with poor visibility when the driver spun out on an icy patch of pavement and hit another vehicle head on. The SUV he was a passenger in rolled. The next thing Jake remembers is lots of lights. He was cut out of his seat belt and transported to District One Hospital with severe injuries. Two of his buddies, the driver and another passenger were also at the hospital. Jake was later transported to North Memorial Hospital, but not by air ambulance because the weather was so bad it couldn’t fly. The fourth passenger in the SUV was not wearing a seat belt and he was ejected out of the vehicle in the rollover and was killed. Jake survived that fatal crash because he was wearing his seat belt. The first officer at the scene, strangely enough, was the Trooper that had ticketed Jake in December.
. The MOD Squad includes Minnesota State Patrol, Rice County Sheriff’s Office, and Dundas, Faribault, Lonsdale, Morristown, and Northfield Police Departments. Minnesota state law requires the driver and passengers in all seating positions to be buckled up or seated in the correct child restraint.
NEWS RELEASEBruce Gordon, Director of Communications
CONTACT:
Nathan Bowie (651) 201-7571
JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2012 30 Years of Child Passenger Safety Laws Highlight Importance of Car Seats, Boosters
National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 16-22
ST. PAUL — This year marks 30 years since Minnesota first passed its child passenger safety laws in 1982. That year, less than 20 percent of the 11 infants (ages 0-3) killed in crashes were known to be properly restrained in a child safety seat, and only 22 percent of the 387 injured were restrained. The success of the car seat laws and increased use of child restraints has made a dramatic impact on child safety over the years, according to Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety data:
“There is no debate when it comes to the benefits of child seats,” says Heather Darby, child passenger safety programs coordinator at DPS. “Parents and caregivers have a huge responsibility to ensure their children are safe when they ride and step one is using the right seat that’s correctly installed.” Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 16–22 Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Week is Sept. 16–22, and DPS is emphasizing the importance of correct child safety restraint and booster seat use to keep children safe while riding in a vehicle. In Minnesota, three out of four child restraints are used incorrectly — meaning children are riding in the wrong restraint or it is not properly secured. Parents and caregivers may visit buckleupkids.mn.gov for instructional videos for installing and using various car seats, and to find a local car seat check location. Common Child Passenger Safety Mistakes Officials find these common safety seat errors:
Child Passenger Seat Steps for Children
A child should progress through different safety restraints as they age and grow:
Booster Seats — Helping Seat Belts Fit Kids Correctly
In Minnesota, children must start riding in a booster seat once they have outgrown forward-facing seats, typically age 4. It is safest for children to ride in a booster until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, or at least age 8. Booster seats lift a child up so seat belts fits them properly. Poor seat belt fit can contribute to serious injury, ejection and death in traffic crashes. A sign that a seat belt does not fit properly and a booster is still needed is if the child wraps the shoulder belt behind them or tucks it under their arm to avoid the belt rubbing against their neck. Fines for not using booster seats vary, but average around $50.
Booster-Age Children (4–7) Fatal and Injury Crash Facts, 2007–2011 in Minnesota:
About the Office of Traffic Safety
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) designs, implements, and coordinates federally funded traffic safety enforcement and education programs to improve driver behaviors and reduce the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Minnesota roads. OTS also administers state funds for motorcycle safety programs and child seats for needy families. OTS is an anchoring partner of the state’s Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety initiative. A primary vision of the TZD program is to create a safe driving culture in Minnesota in which motorists support a goal of zero road fatalities by practicing and promoting safe and smart driving behavior. TZD focuses on the application of four strategic areas to reduce crashes — education, enforcement, engineering and emergency trauma response. Office of Traffic Safety Highlights
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