Booster/Carseat Safety

Well, I've been going like crazy, on anything I can manage, and even some things I can't manage!  I've been cleaning, organizing, and purging my entire house!  Who knows, by the end of it all I just may be able to park my car inside for the first time since we moved here over a year ago.  That would be nice. 

Anyway, there's so many exciting things going on in my house right now.  I've spent the last month getting everything in order for my oldest to start school in the fall!  Yep, she's going to be in kindergarten.  Getting a child ready to start school is a whole new experience for me.   She's not the only one getting bigger, my baby boy is well over a year now, and pushing the weight limits on his infant carrier so I suppose it's time to switch it out for a big kid carseat!  As parents, we go out of our way to keep our kids safe, and putting them in the proper carseat is only the beginning of car safety.  We need to make sure our kids will be safe in the event of an accident.  That's why I am happy to share this tip with you.  I don't know about every state, but in Ohio, your local DMV should carry lime green stickers that look like this:

As you can see there's a space for all vital information about your children.  Place a sticker on each side of your child's booster/carseat.  In the event of an accident, emergency responders will have all the information about your child necessary to treat them and contact you or another emergency contact if you were also involved in the accident.  If you don't think you'll ever need these, here's the story behind their creation:

"The CHAD safety seat child identification program has been developed as a result of a traffic accident involving a 13-month old boy named Chad. The baby-sitter who was driving was killed. Chad was injured but no one at the scene knew his identity. Only because an emergency room nurse recognized him could his parents be quickly located and his injuries be treated." (from the Chad website: here)

You can visit the website to see the participating states.  If you're in Ohio and can't find these stickers you can contact Ohio Public Safety at 614-466-4775 to request your stickers.  Or, if you prefer, you can just print your own at home on bright paper.  Just remember to cover them completely with clear packaging tape to prevent them from being torn away or washed away if exposed to moisture. 

And here they are, all updated with the most recent information and applied:

 

And as you can see, they stick out like a sore thumb, just what you want:

Just remember you should take care to not cover any manufacturer safety information printed on the carseat when using these stickers or your own printed version.

Please leave us a message to let us know where you were able to find your stickers, or if you know of other carseat safety programs available in other states.

~Nicole