The Sierra Vista Police Department will tighten enforcement efforts as it joins forces with Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services to support national Child Passenger Safety Week from Sunday, Sept. 18, through Saturday, Sept. 24.
Police officers will exercise zero tolerance of child restraint and seat belt violations, including seat belt violations by adults, during Child Passenger Safety Week. Officers will focus on enhanced enforcement of the following laws:
• A person shall not operate a motor vehicle when transporting a child who is under the age of 5 or under the age of 8 and is also less than 4 feet 9 inches in height unless that child is properly secured in a child restraint system.
• Any passenger who is younger than 16 years old must have their lap and shoulder belt properly fastened while the vehicle is in motion.
• Anyone in the front seats of a motor vehicle must have the lap and shoulder belt properly fastened while the vehicle is in motion.
“Car crashes are a leading cause of death for young children and many of these deaths can be prevented through proper use of child safety seats, boosters, and seat belts,” SVPD Sgt. Tim Wachtel says.
On average, two children under 13 years old were killed and about 278 were injured each day in 2020 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Of the 604 child passengers who died in traffic collisions in 2020, 38% were unrestrained.
On Thursday, Sept. 22, SVPD and SVF&MS will host a booth at the Sierra Vista Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Park to share information about child passenger safety. SVF&MS will be taking signups for its next free child car safety seat class.
“Nearly half of all car seats for children are used or installed incorrectly and we’re here to help parents do better,” says SVF&MS Captain Michael Quarto, the department’s child car seat safety program coordinator.
Child car seats and boosters are one of the easiest ways to keep your child safe and, when installed correctly, car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers, according to the NHTSA.
The state’s Child Passenger Safety Week campaign is conducted by the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, in conjunction with the national campaign sponsored by the NHTSA.
Schedule a free child safety seat check
Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services offers free child passenger seat checks, pending completion of a hands-on class. Appointments must be made in advance by calling Fire Station 3 at (520) 417-4400 or using the online form available at www.SierraVistaAZ.gov (search for “car seat safety check”) so a technician can be scheduled. Participants who complete the class may also be eligible for a free car seat.
Since 2008, Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services has provided more than 1200 child car safety seats and performed more than 1,700 car seat safety checks. This program is made possible by a grant from the Tucson Medical Center Foundation, which is part of the Children’s Miracle Network.
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