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State Police Remind Parents To Be Aware of Children’s Safety in Vehicles

LACKAWANNA COUNTY — Two girls, a second grader and a kindergartner, died after two violent crashes. Now, state police are warning parents to be more vigil...
lacka vehicle safety

LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- Two girls, a second grader and a kindergartner, died after two violent crashes. Now, state police are warning parents to be more vigilant about their children’s safety in vehicles.

Brooke Piemonte, age 6, died in a Pike County crash last week. State police believe the kindergartner wasn't wearing a seat belt. Amailey Gonzalez died from her injuries after a wreck Friday night in Luzerne County. Investigators say she wasn't in a booster seat.

“I definitely thought of my children when I saw that. It upset me a lot because I have two little girls and I just, I couldn't picture if something happened to them,” said Lindsey Bird of Scranton.

State police want people to pay more attention to children in vehicles, making sure they are buckled up and in the proper seat.

"Most traffic crashes actually happen closer to home, so regardless of how far you're going or how short a distance, you should always be buckled,” said Trooper Connie Devens of the Pennsylvania State Police.

According to state law, children from birth to 4 should be in an approved car seat. From ages 4 to 8, children must be in a booster seat and wearing seat belts. Anyone under 18 must be wearing a seat belt no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle. Adults 18 and older are only required to wear sea tbelts in the front seats.

“She's seven and I still have the locks on the back where she can't open the door, close the door by herself, and you know, I make sure she's strapped in,” said Tracy Kelley of Taylor about her daughter.

"My daughter, she'll try to hop out of her car seat and what I do, and if she doesn't listen, I will put her right back in and I will pull over immediately,” said Lindsay Flaherty of Yatesville.

State police say some parents think their children are protected with the proper booster and car seats, but a lot of them may have been installed improperly.

"The studies that have been done, there's a 74 to 90 percent misuse rate in car seats, depends on what they're looking for during the study, but that's a very high misuse rate,” said Trooper Devens.

State police plan a car seat check at Tom Hesser Nissan in Dunmore from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday, May 26.

For information on child car seat safety and laws, click here.

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