Parents with small children will have the chance to get their child’s safety seat inspected for free this month thanks to a Safe Kids York County and Center for Traffic Safety program called Safe Kids Buckle Up.
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Parents or guardians can bring their child and auto seat for a checkup from noon to 4 p.m.at Old Navy, 3360 S. US 41 in Terre Haute. Statistics show that in passenger cars, rear-facing safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants, and by 54 percent for toddlers.
Vehicle seats not being installed correctly is a major concern for child passenger safety week, which is September 18-24.
The event will be held from 9 a.m.to 12 p.m.at the Walmart Supercenter at 340 Norman Drive in Valdosta.
“Fifty-nine percent of auto seats are installed incorrectly”, said Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide, citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Moreover, New York State law mandates that children are required to use a child safety seat up to the age of eight years old. The technicians will be teaching parents how to properly install auto seats.
Keep your child in the vehicle seat for as long as possible, as long as your child fits the seat’s height and weight requirements.
“We’ve put a lot of effort into making installation of child safety seats easier, and we’re glad to see that it’s working”, said Jennifer Pelky, senior safety engineer at Toyota’s North American R&D Headquarters. The vehicle owner’s manual also includes information on the proper placement of the auto seat and proper use of the seat belt or LATCH system.
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For a list of certified CPS technicians, child safety seat fitting stations, and child safety seat check-up events in your area, visit www.safeny.com and click on Child Passenger Safety for Parents.
