Delaware Law requires every child under the age of 16 years to properly use a Federally approved child retraint system or seat belt
Delaware law requires every child under the age of four years to be properly restrained in a Federally approved child restraint system, and every child between ages 4 and 16 to properly use a child safety seat or seatbelt. No child under 12 years of age and 65 inches tall may sit in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger side air bag.
Infants under age 1 and 20 pounds should properly restrained in a federally approved car seat facing rearward. The harness straps should be placed so that they fall at or below the baby's shoulder level. They should be tight enough so that you can get no more than one finger between the harness straps and the baby's collarbone. The safest place to secure children is in the center position of the back seat. Never place a rear-facing child in front of a passenger side airbag.
A child over 40 pounds should be moved into a booster seat and should remain there until they weigh approximately 80 pounds. Seatbelts are made to fit adults, not small children, and serious injuries or death can occur in car crashes if your child is moved into an adult seatbelt too early. When the middle of your child's head is higher than the back of a high-backed booster seat, or when your child can comfortably sit up straight and have his/her legs bend easily over the edge of the seat, then it is safe to allow your child to ride using only a lap/shoulder belt combination. Additionally, any child under the age of 16 must be restrained.
It is very important that you read and understand your vehicle's owner manual and the instructions that come with your child restraint device. The location of the device in the vehicle, its position, whether forward facing or rear facing and in the front or back seats may determine whether or not your child will suffer injury, even in a minor bump or accident. The child's position in relationship to the air bags in your vehicle is also very important for your child's safety. Proper fit, the proper use of blankets or covers and the use of clips, belts and buckles may prevent serious injury. NEVER try and hold a child. At 30 mph, a 10 lb. baby in a crash becomes a force of 300 lbs., which no one can hold!!
The Delaware Office of Highway Safety conducts free monthly child safety seat checks. Federally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will check your seat for recalls and correct installation. They will then provide one-on-one assistance for parents, grandparents, child care providers, etc. who need to have their seats reinstalled properly. No appointment is necessary. For a list of upcoming car seat checks in your county, safety brochures, and additional information, contact the Office of Highway Safety at (302) 744-2740 or by mail at P.O. Box 1321, Dover, DE 19903-1321.
WARNING! When it's hot outside, do not leave children unattended.
On a hot summer day the interior of a car can get dangerously hot. One study found that with the windows up and the temperature outside at 94 degrees, the inside of a car could be 122 degrees in just half an hour, or 132 degrees after an hour.
Prevent a needless tragedy, and make sure no one leaves small children in a hot vehicle unattended.
If You Can't Afford A Child Safety Seat
If you are low income and cannot afford a child restraint, you may borrow one from one of the State Service Centers at: Wilmington 577-3150; Newark 368-6700; Dover 739-5301; or Georgetown 856-5574.
Bad Information
Some people still have "bad information" about using safety belts. For example,
"Safety belts can trap you inside a car." It takes less than a second to undo a safety belt. Crashes where a vehicle catches fire or sinks in deep water and you are "trapped," seldom happen. Even if they do, a safety belt may keep you from being "knocked out." Your chance to escape will be better if you are conscious.
"Safety belts are good on long trips, but I do not need them if I am driving around town." Over half of all traffic deaths happen within 25 miles of home. Many of them occur on roads posted at less then 45 mph.
"Some people are thrown clear in a crash and walk away with hardly a scratch." Your chances of not being killed in an accident are much better if you stay inside the vehicle. Safety belts can keep you from being thrown out of your vehicle, into the path of another one. Staying inside the vehicle will definitely reduce injuries.
"If I get hit from the side, I am better off being thrown across the car; away from the crash point." When a vehicle is struck from the side, it will move sideways. Everything in the vehicle that is not fastened down, including the passengers, will effectively slide toward the point of crash, not away from it.
"At slow speeds, I can brace myself." Even at 25 mph, the force of a head-on crash is the same as pedaling a bicycle full-speed into a brick wall or diving off a three-story building onto the sidewalk. No one can "brace" for that.
