Booster seats available

La Paz County Health Department Press Release:

Holiday travel season is here and La Paz County Health Department would like to remind residents about the child booster seat law that went into effect August 2nd. Children ages 5-8, who are shorter than 4 foot 9 inches (4’9”), are required by law to be in a booster seat. The purpose of a booster seat is to make sure the vehicle’s seat belt fits the child. Booster seats are designed to guide the lap belt across upper thighs and the shoulder belt across chest.

The health department received a grant from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to provide education, training and free backless booster seats to families in La Paz County. “With this grant, we can provide free backless booster seats to families who need them,” said Lee Ann Anderson, Public Health Education and Prevention Program (PHEPP) Coordinator. “Our goal is to see every child in La Paz County in a car seat.” The booster seat grant made it possible for the PHEPP program to host a free car seat safety event last September.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. Placing children in age and size appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries. Booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to seat belts alone.

The La Paz County Health Department’s PHEPP program has trained technicians who install the free booster seats. Residents can call 928-669-1062 to make an appointment with one of the technicians. For more information visit www.lpchd.com.