County offers child car safety seat classes
Yuma – Yuma County’s health department will offer free classes in the proper use of child safety seats this month and in December as part of its Safe Kids program.
In addition to the classes taught in both English and Spanish, the county Public Health Services District will also give out free seats to families that qualify based on income.
The 1-1/2-hour classes will be be taught at the Public Health Services building in Yuma, 2200 W. 28th St. An English-only class will be taught at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 4, but English and Spanish classes will be offered at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. respectively on Dec. 18.
Studies show that car safety seats can reduce child mortality rates in auto accidents by 71 percent. But studies also have shown that the seats are often improperly installed in vehicles or incorrectly used.
The county’s Safe Kids program employs certified instructors to show parents and child care providers how to properly secure youngsters in vehicles.
According to instructors, the best means of securing children in vehicles in to restrain them in a rear-facing seat using a harness with five points of attachment designed to hold them at the shoulders and hips
According to studies, in the event of an accident, the harness protects the childing transferring the force of impact to the most rigid points of the body and to the seat itself.
To be eligible for the free seats through the Safe Kids programs, families must be enrolled in a public assistance program such as WIC, AHCCCS or the food coupon program, and must attend an online car safety seat class taught by the Public Health Services staff.
For more information about the classes, the public can call the county Public Health Services District at 928-317-4580.