HDOT Launches National Child Passenger Safety Week

Child Passenger Safety Week is sponsored by NHTSA.

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT), together with all four county police departments and child passenger safety advocates, launches National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 23 through 29, 2018. During Child Passenger Safety Week and year-round, Hawai‘i’s child passenger safety technicians are committed to educating parents and caregivers on the proper installation of child safety seats and correct use of seat belts when traveling with their keiki.

“Car crashes continue to be a major leading cause of unintentional death for keiki in Hawaii. The use of age and size-appropriate car seats is the best way to keep babies and children safe,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay. “We’re partnering with the county police departments and trained safety technicians to remind everyone that Hawaii’s keiki need to be buckled in properly every trip, every time.”

The best way for parents and caregivers to protect their child is to use a child safety seat that best fits their child and vehicle. In Hawai‘i, children under 4 years old are required to ride in a child safety seat; children 4 through 7 years old must ride in a child passenger restraint or booster seat. Violators are required to appear in court, and if convicted, must attend a four-hour class. They may also be assessed a penalty of up to $500.

Parents and caregivers can check the following to determine when a child can be moved from a child safety seat to a booster seat:

• The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, and not cross the neck or face.
• The lap belt must lie snugly across the child’s upper thighs, not the stomach.
• The child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat when his or her back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back.
• The child can stay seated properly during the entire trip.

To educate the public about Hawaii’s child restraint law, HDOT is airing public service announcements on television and in movie theaters statewide. Hawaii’s child passenger safety media campaign is 100% federally funded.

Child Passenger Safety Week is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For more on child safety, as well as a list of child restraint inspection stations and community car seat checks, visit www.kipchawaii.org or www.safercar.gov/parents.