Child safety seat law change in NY

By Malka Eisenberg

New York State’s child car restraint law has changed. As of November 24 all children up to age 8 are required to ride in some form of child safety restraint while in a moving vehicle.

Kulanu is holding free child passenger safety events on the fourth Wednesday morning of each month, by appointment, in the parking lot behind the Kulanu building at 620 Central Avenue. The program began in October; the next event will be held on December 23.

“We’re trying to help spread the word about the new law,” explained Mark Hoffacker, the Parent Advocacy Resource Center Coordinator at Kulanu and a certified child passenger safety technician.

Three families with multiple car seats came to the first car seat check in October; three more came in November, Hoffacker said. Thirty minutes is allocated for each car seat check. Hoffacker assesses the seat, to be sure it’s safe and is the correct restraint system for the age, height and weight of the child.

“Sometimes it’s the wrong seat,” said Hoffacker.

The program is intended to teach parents how to install car seats properly.

“Parents do it hands on,” he said. “If they have to move the car seat they have to know how to do it to keep their children safe, so we’re teaching parents how to do it. People always appreciate help. It’s great that they come. Sometimes they have a major mistake, sometimes a minor mistake, even if they read the manual — it’s written to too high a level. Kids are at risk of injury.”

The criteria for a restraint system, he said, included the “right seat for the child based on height and weight, the system fits tightly in the car” and “within the family’s budget.” Hoffacker also said that families can come with or without the children.

“There is a benefit when the child is there, we can see how the straps fit, but they don’t have to.  I’ve checked a lot of car seats in my day. The seats should be adjusted depending on what the child wears, summer to winter.” He also noted that current car seats absorb more energy in a crash than those six to eight years old and that restraints over six years old should be replaced. He also said that one should not buy car seats second-hand since they can’t vouch for their safety and may have been in an accident, have a hairline fracture, and will not be safe.

Hoffacker has worked for the past 20 years with children with special needs at a children’s hospital, and saw the effects of accidents, including brain injuries and organ damage, first-hand. “The worst is when a child is not restrained at all,” he said. “They sustain very, very serious injuries. When a booster seat is not used the lap belt is on the belly and the shoulder belt is on the face.  Those children get organ damage from seat belt syndrome when the lap portion is on the stomach and can slice them and do a lot of organ damage. They can get sliced in the neck or a burn” from the shoulder belt on the face.  He also recommended that short adults adjust seat belts since these hazards apply to them as well.

“It’s a perfect opportunity,” said Chaya Sheinman of Cedarhurst, one of the parents who came for the car seat check.  “I’ve done it before in two other places. It’s convenient that it’s in the neighborhood. It was very helpful and informative. He also fixed something that had to be adjusted.”

Hoffacker stressed the importance of the booster seat. “It boosts them so the seat belt is on the hips and shoulder,” he explained. “It’s surprising that parents don’t know how it works. The child is being restrained by the seat belt; they are just boosted into the correct position.”

“The law is just about age,” he said. Children up to age four must be in a car seat but over 40 pounds may be in a booster seat.  A child is now required to be in some form of safety restraint up to age eight, a safety seat, harness, vest or booster seat attached with the vehicle seat belt system. A child over four foot nine inches in height and weighing more than 100 pounds may use the seat belt provided that the child can sit straight up against the seat back with his knees bent properly over the seat edge. The lap belt should fit snuggly across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt snuggly across the chest and shoulder but not touch the throat.

“Sometimes people are born with disabilities and sometimes disabilities happen,” noted Jonathan Cooper, Kulanu’s Director of Inclusion and Community Support Services.  He said that this is a “prevention program” and inclusionary, to dispel the notion that Kulanu is only “a special needs program” and that this provides a service to the community at large.

Aside from the safety issue, those who do not comply with existing restraint laws will be fined.

“Mothers including myself take things for granted and you shouldn’t,” said Marci Kramer of Lawrence, another parent who came for a car seat evaluation.  “Just as you don’t let a child run across the street, you should take precautions and have a child sit in a booster seat.”

Mothers aren’t the only ones coming in though.

“Sometimes the dads call,” said Hoffacker. “I actually checked one State Assembly person going to pick the baby up from the hospital. He said, ‘my wife said if I don’t get this car seat checked I’ll be in big trouble.’’”

To make an appointment contact Mark Hoffacker at (516) 569-3083 ext. 136 or mark@kulanukids.org.  For more information on child safety laws go here.

Questions or comments? Contact Malka Eisenberg at newsroom@thejewishstar.com