ALTOONA – Parents and child caregivers need to be aware of an important change in child restraint recommendations: The lower anchors should no longer be used when the child and car seat combined weigh more than 65 pounds.
This is an amendment to the law that took effect in 2001 that recommends that all children up to 65 pounds remain in car seats/boosters, but that did not take into account the weight of car seats. Car manufacturers cannot guarantee the strength of the anchors when adding the weight of the seat, thus the need to modify the law.
Car restraint manufacturers will have new information on labels and in instruction booklets by or before February. So, Sherry Turchetta, community education specialist with UPMC Altoona and coordinator of SafeKids Blair County, urges parents to read the instruction manual that comes with their child’s safety seat for proper installation and to visit a scheduled Child Safety Seat Checkup Station sponsored by UPMC Altoona and SafeKids Blair County.
The next Child Safety Seat Checkup Station is set for Jan. 10. Additional checks are set for Feb. 7 and March 14 and are by appointment. Call 814-889-7802 to make an appointment.