Help your child become whatever they want to be.

Keep them alive.

That will be the key message to Missourians reminding them to do just that during Child Passenger Safety week Feb. 11-18.

The message will be delivered through radio and television ads featuring children telling their parents how important it is to buckle them up in proper child safety seats and booster seats. Several radio stations are planning remotes, where they will host their show at a store or event and focus on the importance of car seats. Drawings are planned for the events where a car seat is given as a prize.

Ads are scheduled for the month of February at 280 Casey’s General Stores in Missouri. Look for the ads on top of gasoline pumps where they will strategically encourage parents to be a superhero to their children by keeping them safe while driving.

The campaign brings attention to the most recent law for transporting children that went into effective August 2006. The new booster seat law requires children to be in a booster seat if they are ages 4-7 years old, unless they are at least 80 pounds or are at least 4’9” tall.

“The previous law only required children under age four to be secured in an approved child safety seat, so many children weren’t being adequately protected,” said Highway Safety Director Leanna Depue. “Just a few more years in a booster seat can help prevent serious injury and may even save your child’s life.”

Serious injuries can result from improperly fitted safety belts, particularly for children ages four through seven who are secured only in a regular safety belt during a crash. These injuries are commonly known as “seat belt syndrome” and they are often life threatening or disabling. Booster seats help prevent this syndrome from occurring by raising the child up so the lap and shoulder belt fits them properly.

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Keeping Kids Safe

As children grow, how they are secured in your car, truck or SUV should change. Save your child from injury or death by buckling them in correctly at every stage.

1. Rear-facing infant seats are used from birth to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds.
2. Forward-facing toddler seats are used from age one and 20 pounds to about age four and 40 pounds.
3. Booster seats with lap and shoulder belts are used from about age four to at least age eight, until 80 pounds or 4’9” tall*.
4. Lap and shoulder safety belts are used at age eight and older or taller than 4’9” or more than 80 pounds.

Note: some booster seats are designed to accommodate children who weigh up to 100 pounds.