As readers of our blogs note, we like to occasionally focus topical subject matter on issues relating to child injuries, especially stories that highlight known concerns and provide useful information to parents and caregivers that enables them to identify dangers and take due precautions. Our immediately preceding post, for example, discussed basketball-related head injuries.

The present posting spotlights car safety seats, a relevant focus, we believe, given that car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths for children over the age of one.

In a "Child Safety Day" sponsored on Saturday, September 18, at a Jefferson County automobile dealership by the Jefferson County Health Department and State Farm Insurance, members of the insurance company and the Ohio State Highway Patrol inspected safety seats for parents and replaced defective or outdated products for free. About 50 new car seats were given out.

Problems were not hard to find, especially with the way in which car seats are installed by many parents. "Three out of four seats, checked nationally, are found to be improperly installed," said trooper Tim Zook. "Three out of four," he repeated for emphasis.

For maximum effectiveness, safety seats need to match accordingly with a child's weight, age and height. If they don't, the safety they ostensibly provide could be offset, with conditions being made even more dangerous for the child. Parents learned from onsite technicians what to look for and how to make proper adjustments.

Related Resource: www.wtrf.com "Child Safety Day Promotes Better Car Seats" September 18, 2010