with Chris Vidro
Chris Vidro
Born:
New York City
Raised:
Fort Lee
Currently resides:
Butler
Police Training:
Graduate of the Passaic County Police Academy
Community involvement:
• Volunteer for the Butler Emergency Medical Squad
• Certified Technician at the Essex County Child Safety Seat Inspection
Station
Hobbies:
Mountain biking and sports
Favorite Teams:
N.Y. Mets and N.Y. Jets
If you think the child safety seat in your vehicle is locked securely
in place because you read the manual cover to cover, guess again.
University Police Officer Chris Vidro, who volunteers at Essex County's
new child safety seat inspection station, went through five eight-hour
days of training and studied a manual four inches thick before he was
certified to install and inspect child safety seats.
"I was amazed at how much goes into selection and proper installation
of a car seat," said Chris, now into his fourth year at the University.
"It's a matter of knowing all the pieces, where everything goes and
how to connect them. Then there's the question of which seat is appropriate
for the age and weight of your child, and the make of your car."
The Volvo, according to Chris, is the most child seat-friendly vehicle
because its features make installation easy. Most difficult, he said,
are Land Rovers and some Saturns, mainly because the manufacturers don't
provide enough instruction.
Education is paramount. According to Chris, parents often don't properly
use the seatbelt because they lack knowledge of the automatic locking
systems or because they fail to properly route the belt through the seat.
He said parents are generally well informed about infant seats, but are
lost when it comes to the appropriate second seat.
"Price should not be the issue," he said. "Sometimes the
$200 seat is not effective. You may have a child and a car in which the
$40 model provides better protection. The best seat is the seat that fits
your child."
Most confusing to most parents is the locking clip that comes with safety
seats. "There's no explanation how to use it, and most cars don't
need one," said Chris. "But parents see it so they feel they
have to use it. In an accident, however, when that clip snaps off it becomes
a deadly projectile." After-market accessories that hang from a child
safety seat also are potential projectiles in a crash. "The rule
of thumb is, if it didn't come with the seat, don't use it, because it
hasn't been crash tested," he explained. Chris also suggests avoiding
second-hand child safety seats because they may be damaged, straps may
be worn and, unless you are the registered owner, you will not receive
recall information.
Chris enjoys educating people to ensure their safety. It's something MSU
Police Chief Paul Cell instills in his force. "Our motto is 'education,
service and protection,' " Chris said. "The education element
separates us from other police departments.
"We want the campus community to get to know the police officers
on a personal level," he added. "The result is a community quicker
to respond to crime prevention education. We all have to watch out for
each other, not just for ourselves."
The Essex County Child Safety Seat Inspection Station, located on the
old county hospital grounds on Fairview Avenue in Cedar Grove, is open
Thursdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Chris also is available to inspect safety
seats on campus for members of the Montclair State community. If you'd
like Chris to inspect a child safety seat, e-mail him at vidroc@mail.montclair.edu.
To learn more about child passenger safety he suggests you go to the National
Highway Association's Web site at www.nhtsa.org,
which contains useful information including recent recall lists.