CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTIONS

It is summertime and our thoughts are once again on outdoor safety. We make sure our children wear their helmets when they are on their bicycles or scooters. We make sure they have on a life preserver on when they are in the water or on a boat. But how many times are we thinking about the Child Safety Seat that we have in the back seat of our vehicles. Sure it is easy to put them in but are the seats installed properly? The number one killer of children in the United States is vehicle crashes.

In Wisconsin we have several laws regarding Child Safety Seats. Before your child is one year old AND 20 pounds they are required by law to be in a rear facing child safety seat. Once your child is one year old AND 20 pounds they can be placed in a forward facing child safety seat. Your child must remain in the forward facing child safety seat until they are four years old and weigh more than 40 pounds. At that point they can sit in a booster seat. Your child then must remain in a booster seat until they are eight years old and weigh more than 80 pounds.

The Village of Brown Deer Police Department strongly encourages parents to keep their children rear facing as long as they can up to age two. We also encourage parents to keep their children in a five point harness safety seat as long as reasonably possible past age four.

Starting July 12^th, 2010, the Brown Deer Police Department will once again be providing free child safety seat installations. Child Safety Seat installation will be done by appointment only Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 4 PM. Please contact Officer Lonnie Christianson at 414-371-2900 to set up an appointment or with any questions you may have.