County helps parents keep kids safe in cars

The American Academy of Pediatrics wants parents and caregivers to know there are new guidelines to better protect children in cars.

Because young bodies are not made to handle the forces of a car crash, the AAP is now recommending that children stay rear-facing until at least 2-years-old or the weight limit standard of the car seat manufacturer. 

“I actually turned Sean around just after he turned a year old,” said Barbara Taunton, of Navarre, of her son, Sean, now 2. “He had reached the height limit early and was just at the weight limit when he went in for his 1-year check-up.

 “My biggest reason for turning him around was because he was so tall that his feet were kicking the seat and he was getting mad because he had no room to move them.”

For more on this story, see the June 16 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.