Motor Vehicle Safety
Each year, hundreds of Bergen County residents are injured in motor vehicle accidents. As your Sheriff, I am dismayed that so many of those hurt in these accidents are children. Even as automobiles grow ever safer with new enhancements such as side-impact airbags and adaptive seat restraints, too often basic child passenger safety rules are being ignored. Here are a few tips from the Bergen County Sheriff's Office that will help save your child from injury, and might even save their life.
- Everybody needs a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt!
- There must be one safety belt for each person. Buckling two people, even children, into one belt could injure both.
- People who are not buckled up can be thrown from the car or around inside the car, and seriously hurt themselves or others.
- Never hold a child on your lap! You could crush him or her in a crash, or the child may be torn from your arms.
- Never ride in the cargo area of a station wagon, van, or pickup! Anyone riding in the cargo area could be thrown out and severely injured or killed.
- No one seat is 'best', The 'best' child safety seat is the one that fits your child and can be installed correctly.
- Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in the back seat.
- New child safety seats and booster seats come with registration cards. Be sure to register your new seat so you will be notified if there is a recall. If you don't have a card, call the safety seat manufacturer.
If you have recently purchased a new vehicle or child safety seat, remember to take your time when installing it. If you are unsure of how to properly install your child safety seat, contact the Sheriff's Community Outreach Division at 201-646-3389 or 201-646-3370. My officers will be glad to come to your home and inspect your safety seat personally and make sure to get it right. This service is provided free of charge to Bergen County residents. Remember, in the event of an accident your child's life might depend on it.