Barbara Sturm Is New Traffic Safety Program Educator For Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County

 

CCE Livingston County is excited to resume traffic safety programming after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of several events throughout the spring and summer.  Since 2002, CCE Livingston County has coordinated a comprehensive traffic safety education program, in collaboration with other public and private organizations, for the residents of Livingston County. By educating the community on traffic safety, CCE Livingston County and its community partners hope to reduce the number of traffic safety injuries and deaths in our county. Programs target to students, parents/caregivers, community groups, agencies, and more.  Barb has more than 10 years of experience in the Cooperative Extension system having previously served as a 4-H and Ag in the Classroom Educator at the Genesee County Cooperative Extension office.

Our next Car Seat Check, which is free and open to anyone who transports children, will be held on Saturday, September 26^th (10am-2pm) at Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville. To help ensure the safety of our volunteers and participants, facemasks will be required for everyone over the age of two. Social distancing protocols will also be in place during the event.

The Car Seat Check will take place on National Seat Check Saturday – which is the culminating event for Child Passenger Safety Week. Did you know that correctly used car seats can reduce the risk of death in a car accident by as much as 71% and more than half are not used or installed correctly?

Car Seat Checks give families an opportunity to have their child’s car seat inspected, and to receive guidance from certified technicians on how and where to install the seat to maximize their child’s safety. The child needs to be present in order for our technicians to evaluate their car seat.

New York State law requires all children to be restrained in an appropriate Child Restraint System while riding in a motor vehicle, until they reach their 8^th birthday.

All children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat. If a child outgrows the weight or height limit of the seat, then a convertible or all-in-one car seat should be used in the rear-facing position until the child outgrows the weight or height limit set by the car seat manufacturer.

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Use a belt positioning booster seat when your child’s weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for the car seat. Keep your child in a booster seat until the lap and shoulder belts fit properly, typically between 8 and 12 years old.

Children under age 16 must wear a properly fitted lap and shoulder belt. The lap belt should be low and snug across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt should lie across the middle of the chest and shoulder. It is recommended that children under age 13 ride in the back seat.

Effective November 1, 2020, all motor vehicle passengers aged 16 and older must also be restrained by a seat belt.

We thank our dedicated CPS technicians for all of the work they do to make this program possible. If you are interested in supporting our program by becoming a CPS technician, please contact the Traffic Safety Program at Livingston County Cornell Cooperative Extension at 585-991-5432.