Web exclusive: Keeping children safe

Keeping children safe

Larry and Caroline Vyvey are great-grandparents to a 14-month old boy. Recently their granddaughter had reversed the car seat in the truck, but they did not know why.

Saturday, at the Child Passenger Safety inspection, the Vyvey's learned why.

Katie Emmons, with Sage Communities in Cheyenne, explained to them that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the reversal of car seats for the safety of the child.

When in a car accident, the infant seat would fly forward, and facing toward the front seat, there is a chance the infant will be injured.

When facing toward the rear seat, the infant would fly toward the back seat and the impact would be cushioned, Emmons explained.

Infants should be in a rear facing car seat until they are two years old or until the infant reaches a certain weight. Emmons said the infant seat manufactures vary and the literature that comes with the car seat should be read carefully.

Emmons travels around Region I, which includes Albany County, Carbon County, Goshen County and Laramie County to advise parents how to keep their child safe.

Theresa Pacheco, with Project Prevention, was also at the inspection Saturday. If parents or grandparents needed an infant seat or a booster seat, she had them on hand.

Nancy Facciani stopped in to see how hold kids need to be in a booster seat. Pacheco told her the laws changed recently and children are required to be in a booster seat until the age of nine. Before the law changed, there was an age and weight limit, but the weight limit was dropped recently.

Facciani has an eight-year-old grandson coming to visit and Pacheco gave her a booster seat.

Pacheco explained to Facciani to fill out the registration card that came with the seat just in case there was a recall.

Facciani made a donation to Project Prevention and promised to pass the seat on, when it was no longer needed by her grandson.