Child Passenger Safety

Safety Seat Inspections

The Child Passenger Safety Program is designed as an inspection and educational service. A typical inspection finds at least two errors in the installation and / or adjustment of the child safety seat. The technicians then assist the parents in the selection, installation, and adjustment of the appropriate child passenger safety seat for their child. All seats and supplies are funded through a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more information about this program, call (585) 337-4605 and leave a message to have  a car seat technician contact you.  A request may also be made via email to Kellyaf@co.ontario.ny.us.
 

Seat Replacement

Several problems may lead to the replacement of the safety seat. If the child is too heavy or too tall for the seat, if the seat has been in a crash, or if the seat is expired (more six years old), the technician will replace the problem seat with a new one that is compatible with the child and the vehicle in which it will be used.

Best Seat to Buy

One of the questions we are most frequently asked is, “What is the best seat to buy?” It is a question that is not easily answered. Technicians do not recommend a specific brand of seat. Instead, they instruct parents to buy a seat that will fit their child, install easily in their vehicle, and is one they will use correctly every time.

Moving to Front-Facing Safety Seats
Until a child reaches at least 1 year old and the upper weight limit of the seat, the seat should remain rear-facing, as the child’s neck muscles are not developed enough to support the child’s head. Ideally, the child should remain rear-facing until they are at least 2 years old.

How Long to Use Safety Seats

Although New York State law only requires a child to be in a child safety seat until they are 8 years old, a child should remain in some type of child safety seat until they are 4-foot, 9-inches tall or they reach the upper weight limit of the seat. The seat belts in your vehicle are designed for someone who is 5-foot, 6-inches tall and weighs 125 pounds, thus the need for child safety seats. View more safety seat tips and information.