Child Safety Seats
Child Safety Seats
Children riding in motor vehicles are required to be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system. In 1982 New York State's first child passenger restraint law went into effect. In 1985, New York State's mandatory seat belt law was enacted. The seat belt law includes mandatory use of a federally-approved child safety seat for children under four years of age.
New York’s State’s new child restraint law effective November 24, 2009 requires that all children must be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system until they reach their 8th birthday.
Be advised that safety advocates do NOT recommend buying used child safety seats, however, if you must, follow these steps before purchasing one.
And, you should be aware of any manufacturer recalls because of safety defects. Your child's safety should be your number one priority before getting in the car yourself.
Child Passenger Safety Training Program
Effective child passenger safety training is an important tool in the effort to raise awareness and convey accurate technical information about proper occupant restraint usage. Therefore, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee provides statewide coordination for the Child Passenger Safety Training Program. GTSC maintains an up-to-date schedule of child passenger safety seat check events and classes, as well as a listing of certified technicians and instructors. And we will gladly furnish information to any agency or organization interested in conducting a training course.
Training Courses
There are several kinds of child passenger safety training courses available. These range from a basic three-hour awareness class introducing crash dynamics and the complexities of safety seat installation to an intensive four-day certified technician training course. A few of the training programs that are available include:
- Operation Kids is the International Association of Chiefs of Police training program targeted for law enforcement to increase awareness and provide basic technical information. Its goals are to encourage law enforcement professionals to enforce child passenger safety laws and to provide a basic level of education for drivers. This course may be designed as a four-hour class, or it can be expanded up to a two-day training course.
- Buckle Up Kids is the United States Fire Administration's two-day training program designed for fire fighters and emergency services personnel. Its goal is to train these professionals to work effectively their communities to increase overall usage of child restraints as well as to foster correct use. This training program promotes the concept of utilizing the local fire station as a community resource for injury prevention education that begins in childhood.
- The Certified Technician Training Course is a standardized four-day course developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and targeting those child passenger safety professionals and advocates who are responsible for educating the public about properly choosing and installing a safety seat and who want to develop the technical competence needed to participate in or conduct child safety seat clinics. This comprehensive course includes hands-on training, as well as two field-based child safety seat checks. After successfully completing this course, participants will be certified to teach child passenger safety awareness training classes and the non-certified technician course.