GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Healthy Heroes Day returned to Gainesville, and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital brought together local organizations to share child safety tips with families.
Nearly into its 15th year, the event partnered with groups including Safe Kids North Central Florida and the Children’s Trust of Alachua County to offer hands-on demonstrations and resources aimed at preventing injuries.
Michelle Walkup with UF Health said one of the biggest messages is helmet use for any activity “on wheels,” from bicycles to scooters and ATVs. “If you’re on wheels, you should have a helmet on, if you want to stay safe and protect your brain,” Walkup said. “We don’t want any brain injuries.”
Experts also stressed that many children are moved out of car seats too early—and that the right time is based on a child’s height and weight, not just age.
“We recommend keeping a child in a car seat until they max out on the recommended height or weight,” said Jordyn Zyngier, a pediatric trauma injury coordinator at UF Health Shands. Zyngier added that while state law requires children to be rear-facing until age 1, families shouldn’t assume that means switching at 12 months is safest. “We recommend keeping a child rear-facing until they max out the height or weight of their rear-facing car seat, which for some seats could be up to 40 pounds,” Zyngier said.
Certified Safe Kids technicians provided on-site car seat checks, and free car seats were distributed to families in need. Gainesville Fire Rescue also walked parents through proper installation using the “B-L-T” method—buckle, lock, tighten—reminding families that once secured, a car seat should not move more than an inch.
For parents unsure about whether a car seat is installed correctly, organizers encouraged families to stop by a fire station or contact Safe Kids North Central Florida for help.
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