Maryland, U.S.A. — As the end of summer nears, students are getting ready to head back to school. Whether it’s driving to college or carpooling with other neighborhood families, a properly maintained car is the safest, most dependable way to go.

“When your passengers are your children and their classmates, making sure your car gets more than a passing grade is extra important,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. ”A preventive maintenance check-up and having any repairs performed will give parents peace of mind as their children travel to and from school.”

To make sure your car gets high marks for safety and dependability, the Car Care Council recommends a 21st century tune-up be performed to make sure the following systems are in proper working order: battery, charging and starting; engine mechanical; power train control; fuel; ignition; and emissions.

In addition, the following items should be in peak condition for carpool season: tires and tire pressure; brakes; hoses and belts; air filters; wipers; exterior and interior lighting; and fluid levels, including engine oil, power steering, transmission, brake, windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

The Car Care Council also suggests that all vehicles have a roadside emergency kit on-hand that includes items such as flares, a first aid kit, a tire-changing jack, a tire pressure gauge, jumper cables and a blanket. In addition, important telephone numbers should be stored in the glove box or cell phone in case of a breakdown or emergency.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org.

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Most parents report that they typically require their child to use a life-saving booster seat, but more than 30 percent said they do not enforce this rule when their child is riding with another driver.

The study, conducted by child health experts at University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, also revealed that 45 percent of parents do not require their kids to use a booster when driving other children who do not have one.

“The majority of parents reported that their children between the ages of four and eight use a safety seat when riding in the family car,” says Michelle Macy, M.D., M.S., a clinical lecturer of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a pediatrician at U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. “However, it’s alarming to know that close to 70 percent of parents carpool, and when they do, they’re often failing to use life-saving booster seats.”

Researchers believe practical barriers, including limited vehicle space and difficulties making arrangements with other drivers, lead parents to abandon safety seats when carpooling.

Most state laws require children to use a booster seat, many until children are 8 years old. National recommendations encourage the use of booster seats until a child reaches 57 inches, which is the average height of an 11-year-old.

Placing a child in an adult seat belt prematurely can cause shoulder and lap belts to fit improperly, negating the life-saving benefits of seatbelts.  Click here to see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s recommendations as to how seat belts should fit.

“Therefore, parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at greater risk of injury,” says Macy. “Parents need to understand the importance of using a booster seat for every child who does not fit properly in an adult seat belt on every trip.”

Study authors suggest that social norms may be set by state booster seat laws, as parents are motivated to follow guidelines set forth by law.  State booster seat laws were associated with higher safety seat use, regardless of carpooling, even though half of parents surveyed admit to not knowing the age cited in their state booster seat law and another 20 percent guessed incorrectly.

“According to current recommendations most children should be using booster seats beyond the age cited in state laws.  As many parents may not even be aware of current booster seat recommendations, pediatricians should make it a priority to share this vital information with them,” says Macy.

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