Child car seat laws in Nevada need to be updated, experts say
Child restraint laws are not up to par with standards determined by industry experts, according to Safe Kids Clark County.
Jeanne Marsala, director of Safe Kids Clark County, said that while Nevada’s child restraint laws are better than Arizona’s, they still need to be brought up to industry standards.
“Most people think that the law is the safest method,” Marsala said. “But ours are not best practices.”
Children younger than 6 who weigh less than 60 pounds are required by state law to be restrained in a car seat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of a car seat for children younger than 8 who weigh less than 80 pounds.
“I see a lot of misuse,” University of Nevada Cooperative Extension instructor Penny Blair said. “Seat belts are made for adults. They don’t fit these little guys.”
Blair, instructor for the Cooperative Extension’s family vehicle safety course, said that in addition to outdated laws, many Southern Nevada parents do not know how to properly use child restraint devices. Much of it has to do with advancement in technology.
“They don’t read the instructions that came with the car seat or the vehicle’s owner’s manual,” she said. “Often, I’ll hear parents say, ‘Oh, I wondered what that was for.’ ”
Blair added that it is important for families to buy new car seats instead of using old seats, as new technology has made new models safer.
“If you don’t know the history of the car seat, that should raise red flags,” she said. “People shouldn’t buy them at a yard sale or swap meet. I’ve seen car seats duct taped together.”
For every five car seats in use, four are improperly installed, according to Marsala.
“Most parents give their best efforts to keep their children safe,” she said. “Parents don’t know how to use the technology, so they wing it.”
Marsala and Blair are working to educate parents on the best practices of child restraint.
Safe Kids Clark County, a nonprofit based at Sunrise Children’s Hospital that is dedicated to the prevention of child injuries, offers free car seat checks from 10 a.m. to noon every third Saturday at The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, and from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Wednesday at Sunrise Children’s Hospital, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.
“Let us stay up to date on best practices and utilize our knowledge,” Marsala said. “There are plenty of resources in Southern Nevada. More people just need to be made aware of them.”
Blair’s free family vehicle safety course, at one time mandatory for violators of child restraint laws, is offered monthly. The next course is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 20 at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road.
The state’s child restraint laws impose high fines for first, second, and third offenses and penalties, including community service and license suspension, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. A judge can refer violators to the family vehicle safety program with an incentive to waive half or all of the fine if the class is completed, Blair said.
“We want to educate the parents,” she said. “We know people are in a hurry, just driving around the block or to the post office. That’s when most accidents occur. Five extra minutes is nothing compared to the life of a child.”
For more information on Safe Kids Clark County, visit safekidsclarkcounty.org or call 702-731-8666.
For more information on the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s family vehicle safety program, visit unce.unr.edu or call 702-397-2605.
Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.
