YNHH Injury Prevention Coordinator Monica Quisguard helps a child secure their seat properly during a safety check last year.
Every day, car crashes remain a leading cause of injury and death for children between the ages of 1 and 12, but at Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), a team of certified safety experts work to change that, one car seat at a time.
Through its Child Passenger Safety (CPS) program, Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) and its Center for Injury and Violence Prevention not only educate families but also actively save lives by ensuring the most vulnerable passengers are properly protected.
Car seat technicians within the program undergo specialized training to master the correct installation of car seats in various types of vehicles. Once certified, they share their expertise by educating staff at police departments, EMS agencies and healthcare organizations.
“Car seats have manuals. A lot of people think ‘I just put my baby in it. How hard can it be?’” said Monica Quisgard, injury prevention coordinator for YNHH Center for Injury and Violence Program.
According to Quisgard, prior to the pandemic, an estimated 74 percent of car seats nationwide were improperly installed or misused and in Connecticut, that number was even higher, reaching 94 percent.
In the United States, all car seats must include:
- A five-point harness with straps that go over the hips and shoulders
- A chest clip
- Labeling with specific weight and height limits
- Manufacturing label with name, model number, date of manufacture and expiration dates
- Registration card and manual
What are the best practices in selecting the right seat?
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Infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or maximum height (see above)
- Children who have outgrown the rear-facing seat and meet minimum requirements per CT law, should use a forward-facing seat with a harness
- Children who have outgrown the forward-facing seat weight and height limits and meet CT law requirements should use a booster seat
- To determine if a car seat is counterfeit, look for missing or incorrect labels, the absence of a registration card and manual, and a lack of proper build quality
- The penalties for violating the Connecticut car seat laws include: a mandatory child safety course provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A second or subsequent offense will be a fine of up to $190. If the driver fails to take the mandatory course, their driver’s license will be suspended.
What are Connecticut’s Child Passenger Safety Laws?
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Children under two years old and weighing less than 30 pounds must ride in rear facing car seats
- Children two to five years old and weighing less than 40 pounds must use a child restraint that has a five-point harness
- Children who are five to eight years old and weigh 40 to 60 pounds must use a booster seat or a five-point harness
- Children eight years or older and weighing 60 pounds or more can wear a safety belt or a booster seat
“The biggest mistake we see is the harnesses are very loose. The parents are afraid of suffocating their children, but they are not tight enough,” added Quisgard.
Parents are advised to find the correct seat for their child’s age, weight, height and developmental levels.
Counterfeit car seats are being sold on websites like Temu, Amazon and Walmart – often at suspiciously low prices and parents are urged to avoid them, as they may not meet federal safety standards and can put children at serious risk.
“The more people are educated, the better. We want zero fatalities on our roadways,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, community outreach educator with the CPS program.
The CPS program is committed to reaching families across all demographics, ensuring that everyone has access to life-saving car seat education. For instance, within the Spanish-speaking communities, Rodriguez and the team are working to bridge those gaps and make safety information more accessible to all.
The program also provides grants to CT Department of Transportation (DOT) approved fitting stations that provide car seats and other materials at no cost.
To schedule an appointment with a car seat technician, email [email protected] or call 203- 200-5437.
