April is “Distracted Driving Awareness Month” and should be a big part of the health, wellness and safety principles for your family.
April is “Distracted Driving Awareness Month”, and according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association there are four types of driver distraction, and any of them can be deadly:
- Visual: looking at something other than the road
- Auditory: hearing something not related to driving
- Manual: moving your hands from the wheel
- Cognitive: thinking about something other than the complex driving task at hand
While most any activity can distract a driver, one of the more common behaviors is using a cell phone. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, taking your eyes off the road for just over 4 seconds while traveling 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field full of people while blindfolded.
When locals were interviewed, one Portland mother of four stated her biggest distraction was her 3 year old daughter who had learned how to unbuckle her car seat, and would throw tantrums in the back seat. “I found myself turning around and realized I was endangering all of us,” Crystal Spencer shared, stating she actually had a highway patrol officer talk to her daughter once and it seemed to get the situation under control.
Below are the car seat recommendation for children from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for ages Birth-12 months:
- under age 1 children should always ride in a rear-facing seat.
- 1-3 years: Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep your child safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the top height and weight limits allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.
- 4-7 years: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the top height and weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat.
- 8-12 years: Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should fit snug across the shoulders and the chest and not across the neck or face. Remember it is much safer for your child to ride in the back seat.
Oregon law requires that your child be in some type of child safety seat until they are 4’9″ or 8 years of age. It is recommended that you keep them in at least a booster seat as long as possible.
To ensure correct installation and fast service, read your car seat instructions and vehicle owner’s manual.