LIHU‘E — The state updated requirements for keiki car seats over the summer, the Wilcox Medical Center said in a statement on Monday.
LIHU‘E — The state updated requirements for keiki car seats over the summer, the Wilcox Medical Center said in a statement on Monday.
“Unrestrained children are three times more likely to be injuried in a crash,” said Gov. David Ige on the state Department of Transportation website.
“Even one injured keiki is one too many. That is why I signed Act 122. The new child passenger safety law addresses gaps in the previous statue and aligns Hawai‘i with the latest research and national recommendations,” he said.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 12 in the U.S., and the best way to protect keiki is to put them in the right car seat for their age and size, and use them correctly each time.
Wilcox Medical Center is hosting a free car seat safety check on Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m., Attendees are asked to drive to the medical center’s back parking lot and follow posted signs.
The car seat checks are by appointment only, and interested families can call 808-527-2588 to schedule an appointment for the seat check by trained child passenger safety technicians. The technicians will check that car seats are properly installed and answer questions about the new law.
Act 122 was passed in July and amends requirements for child passenger restraints by requiring rear-facing child safety seats for children less than 2 years old, increases the age through which a child must use a passenger restraint or booster seat to 10, and raises fines for certain violations, states the DOT website.
The event is sponsored by the Wilcox Medical Center, Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children, the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition and the DOT.
