HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Bria and Gracie Lewis have places to go and people to see.

These 8-month-old twins travel in style, their matching pink car seat covers the height of winter infant fashion.

Mom Kelly Reed opens the door of her compact car, lifting little Gracie’s car seat and clicking it into its base as Paramedic Rob Bernardo does the same for Bria.

But nothing about car seat safety escapes Bernardo’s trained eye, as he double checks Bria’s car seat base, adjusts the car seat basket’s handle and gives the entire outfit one last look before he shuts the car door.

Bernardo, of Northwest Ambulance District, is state certified in car seat safety and installation, a job he takes seriously.

“I have helped install or check at least 250 car seats,” he said. “And only a small handful of those car seats were installed correctly before I looked at them.”

In fact, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration estimates 85 percent to 90 percent of car seats are incorrectly installed unless installed by a technician.

Bernardo took a 32-hour class in car seat safety and installation, and is an expert in cross-referencing car seat models to vehicle models.

“When I took the class, I was amazed at how confusing it was,” Bernardo said. “No one ever believes that there is 32 hours worth of information to learn about car seats, but there really is a lot people don’t know.”

Bernardo said reading the car seat installation instructions is key, but even then simple mistakes in installation can be big problems in a car crash.

“It is confusing,” he said. “And people think that once they get the car seat all clipped in, everything is fine. That is absolutely not the case. You have to cross-reference the car seat manual with the vehicle’s owner’s manual. You have to check the positioning of the seat, the tightness of the seatbelt and straps and take the child’s size, weight and height into consideration.”

Ohio’s child passenger safety law changed in October. Now every child under 8 years old must ride in a booster seat or child safety seat until the child is 4 feet, nine inches or taller. Every child from 8 years old to 15 years old must be secured by a seat belt, Bernardo said.

Reed said she was immediately confused by the car seat’s instructions and decided to take her problem to Bernardo.

“I had no confidence in my own ability to install these car seats,” she said. “I was surprised at how much I didn’t know about car seats and how many questions I had even after I read the instructions.”

Reed said as the girls grow and need car seat adjustments and even new car seats, Bernardo will always be the one to make sure the seats are safe for her daughters.

“Car seats are for safety. As a parent you buckle the babies in and you need to know that they will be safe if there is an accident. I will never take the chance that their car seats may be installed wrong,” she said.

Bernardo said he will check any car seat for anyone. Appointments are necessary, but free by calling Northwest Ambulance Districts (440) 466-4900. Each appointment lasts 20 to 30 minutes.

“I can honestly say that every parent or guardian who comes in here for a car seat check leaves more informed about car seat installation and safety,” Bernardo said.



The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reports car seats and car seat positions should change as a child grows.

n Infants should be in rear-facing car seats in the back seat as long as possible or up to the height or weight limit of the car seat. Infants should be in rear-facing car seats until they are 1 year old and at least 20 pounds.

n When children outgrown their rear-facing car seats, they should ride in forward-facing car seats in the back seat until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the car seat, usually at 4 years old and 40 pounds.

n Once children outgrow their forward-facing car seats, they should ride in booster seats in the back seat until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest, usually at age 8.

n When children outgrow their booster seats, usually at 8 years old, they can use adult seat belts in the back seat.

For more information on car seat safety, visit www.nhtsa.gov.