OCR Text |
Show r -- ' ; AvA-. iY'K " r ' A ,? ' i v v 1 :!jajAA; A; ' ' ' i ' ' v , - ... . .--V 'i ' Ofl ' Local area Utah Highway Patrol Troopers have teamed up with the Panguitch City Police and county officials to help spread the word to keep kids buckled up safely. Trooper Jim Keller and Panguitch Police Chief Martin Nay display child safety seats, under the new program, Operation Child Safety Seat, which will be implemented immediately in Garfield County and surrounding areas. Operation Child Safety Seat To Be Implemented Immediately Local law enforcement officers are concerned about the number of children who are seen improperly restrained in a child safety seat, or who are not restrained at all. They are especially concerned about the number of child restraint violations observed in many small towns. To address the problem and in cooperation coopera-tion with local courts, and county and city attorneys, Utah Hioghway Patrol officers are implementing "Operation Child Safety Seat". The first phase of the operation, Enforcement and Education, will be implemented immediately. Citizens who are issued a citation cita-tion for a child restraint violation will have the opportunity to register regis-ter for an education class on the benefits of using a child safety seat properly. A letter will accompany the citation, which will explain how to register for the class through the local court system. The approximately two-hour class will consist of lectures, open discussions, videos, and hands-on training. It will be taught by local law enforcement officers who have been trained by the Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah Highway Safety Office. All training will comply with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Child Passenger Safety Technical Training. All those who attend the class will be required to bring a car seat with them so that the instructors can ensure that they meet with the Federal Motor Vehi- (See CHILD SEAT on Page 4-A) Child Safety Seat From Front Page cle Safety Standard 213. Class instructors can also order instruction instruc-tion booklets and replacement parts for the seats, and can make sure that the seat has not been recalled for any safety hazards. Those who may question the benefits of taking the class will receive valuable training on proper installation of a child safety seat and correct placement of a child in the seat. With more than 180 different dif-ferent child safety seats on the market, mar-ket, and more than 500 different vehicles with five different types of belt systems in those vehicles, the average parent or grandparent may be overwhelmed at the thought of correctly restraining their child in the car. The class is designed to resolve all those incompatibility issues. The courts have agreed to completely com-pletely or partially dismiss the $75 fine associated with the citation as an added benefit for those who complete com-plete the class. Anyone may take the class, even if they are not issued a citation, cita-tion, by contacting any of the local courts or the Utah Highway Patrol. |