Police give car seats

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 459, 27 October 1992, Page 1

Police give car seats

BY

DavidoftheRIC

Raetihi Plunket's child car safety seat rental scheme received a boost recently, with the donation of two new seats from the Wanganui District Police Association. Sergeant Evans of Ohakune explained that the Association has donated 15 of the child safety seats to the district Plunket groups, Raetihi getting two of the total. Many times parents have been pulled up by police and have been belted in while children in the car are totally unprotected and in modem cars without chassis, any small knock can result in a small child being thrown about quite hard. Also, the modem seats available are more comfortable for children under five and allow them to see out of the car. "This allows them to travel better," says Kay Bright, the Plunket officer in charge of the rental system for Raetihi, "and that alone should encourage their use." A recent promotion on

these seats has helped, Kay said, but even those parents using the seats "don't use them correctly, just sitting the child in without doing up the straps and belt, for instance." The seats can be rented from Plunket for $25 per year, with a refundable bond of $20, if retumed clean. "Not that many come in clean," comments Kay. "Usually they're quite revolting..." Having said that, Kay is keen to hear from anyone willing to help wash the covers of the retumed seats, for which Plunket pays $5 per seat and also from anyone wishing to rent the seats for newboms and toddlers. "So long as kids get strapped in, it's worthwhile." Arrangements can be made to pay rental in instalments, Kay added, in case of hardship. Kay herself is giving up the full-time running of the scheme with her own baby due in January and Debbie Alabaster will be taking over. Call the Raetihi Plunket for more details on the scheme.