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Ohio Buckles Buckeye (OBB)

 Car Seat Program 

This program is state funded by grant monies and is an activity of the Ohio Department of Health Injury Prevention Program. The program provides FREE car seats to eligible families. 

To be eligible for this free car seat program you must be a resident of Defiance County. 

You must also meet  WIC Income Guidelines or be income eligible for WIC. (If you are not a current WIC client, you must provide proof of income, proof of residency, and a picture ID). 

Convertible and combination (high back booster with a harness) car seats are available on a limited basis. Please call the Defiance County Health Department at 419-784-3818 to determine eligibility and to schedule an appointment with a certified car seat technician. 

Here are some tips to remember:

bullet By current Ohio law, children must be properly restrained in a car seat until 4 years of age and until 40 pounds. A new booster seat law has taken effect on October 7, 2009 that requires children to ride in a booster seat until age 8 and/or 4'9" tall. Ohio revised law (as of April of 2007) requires all children ages 15 and under to be restrained in the back seat in an approved car seat or vehicle restraint system (seatbelt). Law enforcement will issue fines ranging from $25 to $75 per violation.
bullet Infants should remain rear facing until the upper weight limits of their car seat or until at least 18 months of age (current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations). Minimum of 1 year of age and 20 pounds is recommended, but you must follow the instructions on your car seat.
bullet A rear facing car seat should never be placed in front of an airbag.
bullet The harness straps should be at or below the baby's shoulders in a rear facing car seat.
bullet The harness straps should be at or above the child's shoulders in a forward facing car seat.
bullet The harness should be "snug to hug" which means that the harness should be tight enough to gently hug your child in to his car seat without causing him to slouch. You should not be able to pinch any slack in the harness at the child's shoulder.
bullet If your car seat has been involved in a crash, thoroughly inspect the seat for signs of stress. When plastic is stressed, it will appear lighter in color or white. If your vehicle were in a crash and the vehicle had to be towed away, there was an injury in the crash, or the car seat was installed on the same side of the vehicle as the impact; destroy the car seat and purchase a new one. Most insurance companies will reimburse you for the cost of the new seat.

 

For more information on child car seat safety, visit the following links:

      Safe Kids    

National Highway Transportation Administration 

  The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia