Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, August 29, 2019

Three of the youth competition winners. Photo by Jaimie Ferner

     According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most parents are confident that they have correctly installed their child's car seat, but in most cases – 59 percent – the seat has not been installed correctly. However, if installed correctly in passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers one to four years old. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively.

     According to NHTSA data, in 2015, about 25.8 percent of children 4 to 7 years old were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have been riding in booster seats. 

     To keep all children safe, states NHTSA, parents and caregivers should use a child safety seat that best fits their child and vehicle. Complimentary public educational events will be held statewide, starting with one in Nāʻālehu.

Nathan McCasland, center, with other organizers and  families of the surf tournament. Photo by Jaimie Ferner

     In Hawaiʻi, children under 4 years old are required to ride in a child safety seat; children 4 through 7 years old must ride in a child passenger restraint or booster seat. Violators are required to appear in court, and if convicted, must attend a four-hour class. They may also be assessed a penalty of up to $500.
     Parents and caregivers can check the following to determine when a child can be moved from a child safety seat to a booster seat: the shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, and not cross the neck or face; the lap belt must lie snugly across the child's upper thighs, not the stomach; the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat when his or her back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back; the child can stay seated properly during the entire trip.
     NHTSA recommends registering all car seats and booster seats with the manufacturer for a notification in the event of a recall. For more information on car seat safety and to locate a certified child passenger safety technician, visit nhtsa.gov/carseat.
     Hawaiʻi has more than 300 certified child passenger safety technicians, including firefighters, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and parents. All technicians have been trained to provide instruction on choosing the right car seat, installing it, and using it correctly.

     Nationwide child passenger safety statistics from NHTSA states that:

     A child under 13 years old was involved in a passenger vehicle crash every 32 seconds in 2017. From 2013 to 2017, there were 3,313 children under 13 killed while riding in passenger vehicles. Fatalities decreased in 2017 from 2016, the first decrease since 2014. On average, nearly two children under 13 were killed every day in 2017 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. In 2017, over one-third (35 percent) of children under 13 killed in passenger vehicles were not restrained in car seats, booster seats or seat belts. In 2017, among children under 5, car seats saved an estimated 312 lives. A total of 371 children could have survived if they had been buckled up 100-percent of the time.

     NHTSA's latest research shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused.

     Child Passenger Safety Week is sponsored by NHTSA. For more on child safety, as well as a list of child restraint inspection stations and community car seat checks, visit kipchawaii.org or safercar.gov/parents.

     Formed in 2006, OKK is a grass-roots, 100 percent volunteer, community-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving the people of Kaʻū. From the Nāʻālehu 4th of July parade, to the Keiki Fishing Tournament, to the Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run, to providing scholarships for Kaʻū kids – only a very few of their projects – OKK promotes a healthy community through education, culture, and economic opportunity. Their biggest project to date is developing much-needed, low-cost senior housing on two acres of land in Nāʻālehu. "Remember Uncle Wayne Kawachiʻs ʻslippa’ walk to raise funds?" asks the event announcement. 

     Coffee Talk at Kahuku is an opportunity to get to know the Park and neighbors. Join informal conversations on a wide variety of topics. Kaʻū coffee, tea, and pastries will be available for purchase. Entrance located just south of the 70.5 mile marker, on the mauka side of Hwy 11.