South County Fire Authority’s certified Technicians will inspect your child’s Car Seat and help ensure your children are buckled in safely. We will do it for FREE, by appointment. It’s a service called South County Fire Authority C.A.R.E.S.

We want to make sure that your children are safe, because we care. Even the best-informed parents make mistakes with car seats. Children are in the wrong seats for their size, they are in recalled or damaged seats, the seats are not properly secured to the vehicle, or even worse, they are not restrained at all.

For a FREE car seat inspection, call (209) 831-6700 for an appointment.

Safety Tips

• As of January 2002 children 6 years or 60 pounds are required by Law to ride in a Car Seat or Booster Seat.

• For babies less than one year old and less than 20 lbs., be sure they ride in a Car Seat rear-facing in the back seat.

• Center position is the safest.

• If less than one year old and more than 20 lbs., be sure they ride in a seat approved for heavier babies and continue to ride rear-facing until they are 1 year old and 20 pounds minimum.

• All children under 6 years old must ride in the back seat of the vehicle. It is recommended that children should be 13 years old to ride in the front seat

• For children more than 40 lbs., be sure they ride in booster seats until they are big enough to “fit” in an adult belt (approx. 60-80 lbs. And 4’9’’ tall).

• Old/used car seats should not be used unless you are certain they have never been in a vehicle collision and the seat is not over 6 years old. Make sure you have the Car seat checked for recalls

• Never place a Car Seat in front of a passenger air bag.

• Always lock the carry handle on an Infant Carrier in the down position while it’s in the vehicle.

• Always read both the vehicle owner’s manual and the instructions that came with the car seat.

• If the Car Seat has ever been in a vehicle collision, it needs to be replaced. Notify your insurance company.

• Always buckle up, and make sure your passengers do too!

• The “BEST” Car Seat is the one that fits the child, the vehicle, and is used correctly every time

Booster Seat Info

• Current California Booster Seat Law is 6 years of age OR 60 Lbs.

• Every State is different. Check the laws before traveling to another state.

• Children who outgrow their forward-facing car seat should ride in a belt positioning booster seat until an adult seat belt fits properly (usually at 4’9” and 80 pounds)

• Booster seats are intended to provide a platform that lifts the child up off the vehicle seat in order to improve the fit of the child in the adult safety belt. They should also position the lap belt portion of the adult safety belt across the child's hips or pelvic area. An improper fit of an adult safety belt can cause the lap belt to ride up over the stomach and the shoulder belt to cut across the neck, potentially exposing the child to serious abdominal or neck injury. Additionally, if the shoulder strap portion of the lap/shoulder belt is uncomfortable, children will likely place it behind their backs, defeating the safety benefits of the system. When children are properly restrained in a child safety seat, booster seat or safety belt, as appropriate for their age and size, their chance of being killed or seriously injured in a car crash is greatly reduced.

• A booster seat should never be used with only a lap belt. A lap and chest belt is required.

• Using a booster seat with a seat belt instead of a seat belt alone reduces a child's risk of injury in a crash by 59%.

• An estimated 17% of children who should be riding in a booster seat are riding completely unrestrained.

• California Fines are $100.00 for the first offense and $250 for the second.

• 80% of the serious injuries from a crash were to the head or face.

• In an overall study, 90% of the 4-8 year-old children who were seriously injured were not restrained in a booster seat.