Plz look this over-Letter for Elementary Parents on car seat safety

I am campaigning to my son's Elementary Principal (and hopefully the district) to include a letter to parents about car seat safety in orientation packets. Can you look this over and tell me what you think. I didn't want to include too much info for fear of it just being tossed to the side because it is too wordy.
Thank you!

PS
I did borrow the heading on the homepage of car-seat.org...hope that's ok!

I don't see any significant grammatical problems with it, other than that I would eliminate the ellipses in the first paragraph.

Also, I would include citations in small print at the bottom of the sheet.

Could you throw something in there about proper installation and use, or at least to read the manual?

xxluckychicxx said:

Could you throw something in there about proper installation and use, or at least to read the manual?

Click to expand...

How about something like visit your local fire station to have it installed by a certified technician? Or put a link to safe kids?

Also I want to have my facts straight so is it 80% of all car seats are installed incorrectly?

Here is an edited version.

1. The lap belt rests low on child’s thighs, touching child’s hips. It should not rise up and touch child’s belly.

I added the only thing I saw gramatically incorrect for you.

The thing with instructing people to visit fire stations is that most of them (at least in my area) arent techs, but will still install the seat, usually incorrectly (seen it happen more times than I can count). I'd put the statistics and then something like "To make sure that your child's seat is installed correctly read your manual and visit safekids.org to find a car seat technician near you."

Other than that, great job :thumbsup:

Are Your Kids Safe?
Motor Vehicle Crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and adults, age groups 1 to 34. Properly using child restraints and seatbelts may be the most important things you can do to protect your family.

Did you know that Texas law requires your child to remain in a booster car seat until at least 8 years of age or until they are 4’9” tall? And even if your child meets the state minimum requirements they should STILL remain in a booster for optimum safety <or similar phrase> until you can answer YES to all of these questions:

<The sentences below should be rewritten as questions.>

1. The lap belt rests low child’s thighs, touching child’s hips. It should not rise up and touch child’s belly.

2. The belt crosses firmly across the chest half way between the shoulder and the neck. It should not touch the neck or the edge of the shoulder.

3. Child’s bottom rests in the bight (crease at back) of the vehicle seat and child doesn't slouch forward

4. Knees bend at or beyond the end of the vehicle seat and feet rest flat on the floor

5. Child can remain in this position 100% of the time for every single ride, without slouching, slumping, or leaning when napping.

If you answered NO to ANY of the above questions your child should remain in a booster. The back seat is the SAFEST place for your children. A child should not ride in the front seat. Your child should never ride with a lap belt only. Always use the lap AND shoulder belt!

<I would eliminate the 'for your little ones' stuff if this is to be included in new Elementary school children's orientation packets. Save that info for another time.>

Visit your local fire station to have your seat inspected by a certified technician! <---- Only include this information if the local fire stations have CPSTs and do car seat checks! Otherwise, put in accurate, up to date info about where they really CAN obtain a check with a currently certified CPST, or just say something about having their seats checked by a certified CPST and give a link to the Inspection Station Locator site or to the SK CPST search site.

Please keep your children safe in your car. They are worth it!

ETA: Also you also can put a 'For more information visit the American Academy of Pediatrics Car Safety Seats Information for Families or Car-Seat.org Car Seat Forum'.

References:

Car-seat.org
Joelsjourney.org
Kyledavidmiller.org

CTPDMom said:

<I would eliminate the 'for your little ones' stuff if this is to be included in new Elementary school children's orientation packets. Save that info for another time.>

Click to expand...

I wanted to have the info about rear facing in there because there are so many moms who are pg and with toddlers. Many of them who otherwise would not get the info.

hrice said:

I wanted to have the info about rear facing in there because there are so many moms who are pg and with toddlers. Many of them who otherwise would not get the info.

Click to expand...

I understand the desire...but my opinion remains that it should stay out. They're going to get a lot of info in that packet...make it pertinent to that packet and perhaps lobby to do a different handout during the school year. You'll have seconds to get a message, any message, across...make it really to the point. In this case, I think the booster law/5 step test message is enough. :twocents:

xxluckychicxx said:

The thing with instructing people to visit fire stations is that most of them (at least in my area) arent techs, but will still install the seat, usually incorrectly (seen it happen more times than I can count). I'd put the statistics and then something like "To make sure that your child's seat is installed correctly read your manual and visit safekids.org to find a car seat technician near you."

Other than that, great job :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I like the wording you suggested. :thumbsup:

xxluckychicxx said:

The thing with instructing people to visit fire stations is that most of them (at least in my area) arent techs, but will still install the seat, usually incorrectly (seen it happen more times than I can count). I'd put the statistics and then something like "To make sure that your child's seat is installed correctly read your manual and visit safekids.org to find a car seat technician near you."

Other than that, great job :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Yeah I worried about that. I'll go with your suggestion. Thank you.

Another error in the second sentence (missing words added in blue):

Properly using child restraints and seatbelts may be one of the most important things you can do to protect your family.

Or you could even just make "things" singular if you wanted.

*ETA: Okay, reading it again it was right like you had it. I guess in my mind I was thinking of those (car seats/seatbelts) as one thing. Sorry.

Looks good! I think you should keep the rear-facing info since so many kids will have little brothers or sisters.

emandbri said:

Looks good! I think you should keep the rear-facing info since so many kids will have little brothers or sisters.

Click to expand...

Thank you. That is why I put it in there. It is kind of crazy but I watch parents with LOs all the time as they buckle them into the car to check out what kind of seat and seating direction. I have only seen one ERF IRL and that is a friend of mine.

I went to visit another friend of mine this weekend (her kids are 7 & 8) and she was at the car when I was buckling my 2 LOs in and she asked (about my 22 month old) "isn't he old enough to ride forward now" and I said Yes but he is much safer this way and she said "good thing he has short legs!" I didn't even get into it with her! Ughh.