KEEPING KIDS IN CARS SAFER NOT-SO-QUIET OBSESSION BORN FROM PERSONAL TRAGEDY.

Byline: RICK COCA Valley News Writer

If you run into Marc Cohen of Burbank in a parking lot somewhere in the San Fernando Valley and he notices your child's car or booster seat is improperly installed, prepare for a thorough safety lesson -- whether you want it or not.

Cohen's concern with child safety in car seats is so intense it might border on obsessive if it weren't for a tragic day in July of 2002. That's when Alec, his 22-month-old grandson and Melissa, his 21-year-old stepdaughter, were killed in an auto accident.

Following that tragic crash, Cohen read the police report that stated his grandson's car seat was ``installed incorrectly.''

Four years later, driven by those two words on a police report, Cohen, a sales representative for a mailing firm in North Hollywood, has conducted hundreds of safety seminars and one-on-one demonstrations in proper installation and usage of children's automotive safety seats.

Following the crash (the driver who hit Cohen's family is serving an eight-year prison sentence for gross vehicular manslaughter), Cohen raised $950 to get certified as a child safety technician. He has volunteered his time ever since, working with the nonprofit child safety organization, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (www.carseat.org).

Cohen recalled his first few safety demonstrations.

``I did it almost with tears,'' Cohen said. ``It's a passion, it's still that way. There's less tears now. It's almost a religion. I want to keep people safe. I don't want to see anybody suffer like I've suffered and the rest of my family suffered.''

Cohen said in the nearly four years since his tragic loss -- through hundreds of inspections he's done on safety seats -- he's only found four that were installed correctly.

``I would say well over 90 percent are installed incorrectly,'' Cohen said.

He said there are three common mistakes parents make when installing auto safety seats:

The seat is not installed snugly onto the auto seat. The seat should not move more than an inch left to right or forward and back when grabbed where the belt connects to the seat.

The harness is not tightened snugly enough.

``You never see sky divers and NASCAR drivers loosening their harness before they go out,'' Cohen said. ``Parents need to think of a car seat as a safety seat, not as a comfort seat.''

Another problem is that the plastic harness clip (on most car seats) is not at armpit level. It needs to be at armpit level to minimize the chance of the harness slipping off the shoulder during a crash, Cohen said.

Cohen said the answer to the question, ``What's the best car seat for my child?'' is simple, yet complex.

``The seat that the child fits in correctly, the seat that fits in the car correctly, and the one that parents will use every time the child is in the car, even if they're just going around the corner,'' Cohen said.

According to SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., parents should consider both the age and size of their child and follow these general rules:

Keep babies rear-facing as long as possible; Keep small children in a seat with a harness as long as possible; Keep older children in a belt-positioning booster as long as possible.

Cohen said there are a number of organizations that will come to your home to check and see if parents have correctly installed auto safety seats, including his. Some charge a fee, he does not.

``It's something that I do for my grandson and daughter,'' Cohen said.

For more information on auto safety seats, go to www.carseat.org or call 1-800-745-SAFE.

To boost or not to booster seat?

Although the law states that children who are 6 years old and weigh at least 60 pounds are not required to ride in a booster seat, child passenger safety technician Marc Cohen and other safety experts say it all depends on how a child fits in a particular auto seat. If the child doesn't fit properly, a booster is needed at any age.

Here is www.carseat.org's five-step booster test:

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?

2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?

3. Does the seat belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?

4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?

5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If their knees do not bend comfortably at the edge of the seat, children will naturally slouch forward, Cohen said. That will cause the lap belt to rest on their stomachs, which in a crash can cause severe internal injury because the belt is pushing against soft tissue instead of resting against the more solid hip bones, he said.

Booster seats elevate a child and bring the lap belt down so it rests on the child's hips.

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Photo:

(color) Sandi Devens and her baby, Faith, of Santa Clarita get a lesson in child auto safety from Marc Cohen of Burbank, a volunteer with SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

Tim Devens/Special to Valley News

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To boost or not to booster seat? (see text)