September 21 is National Seat Check Saturday

Local Traffic Safety Partners are Offering Free Car Seat Checks by Certified Technicians

(ENDICOTT - NY) - Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 15-21. The annual safety week ends with National Seat Check Saturday, a day for parents and caregivers to receive free instruction on how to correctly install and use the right car seats for their children.

The Broome County Traffic Safety Program announced that certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be offering free car seat safety checks on:

Saturday, September 21, 2024

11AM-2PM

Endicott Fire Department

224 Madison Avenue, Endicott

Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly. "Unfortunately, many parents are overconfident about their car seats," said Christine Marion, Traffic Safety Education Program Coordinator for the Broome County Health Department. "They think they're protecting their kids, but almost half of car seats are either the wrong seat for the child's age and size, or the seats are installed incorrectly. That puts children at risk." According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children. Every day in 2022, an average of three children, age 14 and younger, were killed in crashes, and another 429 were injured. "We know parents love their kids," added Marion "so they'll do everything in their power to protect them. An easy way to do that is to double-check their car seats - it's worth making sure."

When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage - from infants to teens. Whether it's a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents' minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle. Children should stay in each seat and position until they outgrow those limits, and it's important for all children under 13 to ride in the back seat.

In addition to free car seat checks, there will also be seat belt demonstrations provided by the NYS Police, Safe Child ID Cards provided by the Broome County Sheriff's Office, injury prevention and safety information provided by United Health Services, and lead education provided by the Broome County Health Department.

If Saturday's times don't work for your schedule, but you'd still like to have your car seats checked, find out if a technician is available in your community by visiting www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats#installation-help-inspectionor visiting Safety and Injury Prevention | Broome County (gobroomecounty.com)for a list of local Fitting Stations. NHTSA.gov also has free resources available to caregivers. Learn about the different car seat types, read NHTSA's research-based recommendations, and find and compare car seats.

It's also important for caregivers to register their car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall. Download NHTSA's SaferCar app, which allows users to save their vehicle, car seat, and tire info in a virtual garage. If any of the saved equipment is included in a safety recall, the app will send a notification.

For more information on child car seat safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to www.nhtsa.gov/therightseat