Keeping Your Toddler Safe in the Car

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Stephanie Tombrello
Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
http://www.carseat.org/   

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. the national, non-profit organization dedicated to child passenger safety. Our mission is to help reduce the number of serious and fatal traffic injuries suffered by children by promoting the correct, consistent use of safety seats and safety belts.

Founded in 1980, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is nationally recognized for program excellence, training, and up-to-date technical materials. We provide consultation to advocates, parents, business leaders, the media, and professionals working in the fields of health care, traffic safety, and education.

Stephanie M. Tombrello, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., has been involved in child passenger safety since 1970. While shopping for a car seat for her infant daughter, she was shocked to learn that most of the models available in stores were unsafe. Stephanie and several other early pioneers in the field successfully petitioned the federal government to require crash testing for child restraints.  She also wrote the petition which resulted in the federal requirement for manufacturers to provide shoulder belts in the rear seats of all post-1989 passenger vehicles.


In 1980, Stephanie founded a grassroots organization in the Los Angeles area which evolved to become SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Under her leadership, the organization has become the premier resource for child passenger safety in the nation. Stephanie is a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor and was appointed in 1995 to the National Blue Ribbon Panel on Child Restraint & Vehicle Compatibility.

Keeping Your Toddler Safe in the Car

In this video, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. Executive Director Stephanie Tombrello explains how to select the appropriate safety seat for a toddler or small child, how to prevent injuries from air bags, how to install the safety seat correctly, and the safest location in the car for the child. She shows common types of car seat misuse and explains how to keep a fussy toddler buckled up. The final segments include a one-minute car safety check and additional safety tips for the whole family.

This expert: 98,532 views

This series: 24,007 views

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Transcripts

Stephanie Tombrello: Hello. I am Stephanie Tombrello, nationally certified child passenger safety technician and instructor and Executive Director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

 Whether you are going on a few errands or taking a trip around the country, it's imperative to have your young ones buckled up, in fact your whole family buckled up correctly for every ride.

Today, I am going to show what you can do to keep your toddlers and young children safe in the car. When we are talking about older toddlers and young children, we are thinking about children who can fit into a safety seat with a full harness system. Today, that would encompass children up to 65 or even 80 pounds, we'll discuss choosing the proper safety seat for your small child and using it correctly.

I'll explain why your a child should ride facing the rear of the car until she is at east 24 months and why it is very important that you use the tether on his safety seat, when you do turn him around to ride facing the front of the vehicle. I'll help you understand the potential dangers of airbags and show you the safest place for your children to sit.

For demonstration purposes, I'll be using this van and a variety of child safety seats. Remember there are many child safety seats out there, made to fit all maximum models of cars. You will want to have a safety seat that is designed to fit the weight, height and age of your child.

Did you know that every state has laws requiring the use of child safety seats? However, when safety seats aren't properly installed, it cannot only jeopardize the safety of your child, but everyone riding in the vehicle. Although clearly shot in 1979, this footage still clearly shows what happens during the low speed collision. Keeping your children safe however is just the first step. Your children look up to you, so set the right example and buckle yourself up properly every time you hit the road.

Before we begin, let me tell you a little bit about the SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., The national non-profit devoting to exclusively to child passenger safety, founded in 1980. Our focus has been getting the message out about the correct, consistent use of safety seats and safety belts to protect children in the vehicle. Now, let's get started and I'll show you how to keep your toddlers and young children safe in the car.

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