North Central Health District

Macon-Bibb County Health Department Offering Free Car Seat Safety Checks

Posted September 18, 2017 by Michael Hokanson

Certified technicians will check car seats and teach car safety Saturday, Sept. 23.

Macon-Bibb County Health Department (MBCHD) invites all residents to receive free car seat inspections and education to parents and caregivers on National Seat Check Saturday, Sept. 23, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Walmart located at 1401 Gray Hwy. The event is part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, and will include instruction on how to choose the right car seats for children, with an emphasis on how to install and use them correctly. Technicians will also explain the importance of registering the car seats with the manufacturer so parents and caregivers can be notified if there is a recall.

Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 17-23. The week, along with National Seat Check Saturday, is dedicated to teaching parents and caregivers about the importance of correctly choosing, installing and using car seats, booster seats and seat belts.

Car seats, booster seats and seat belts are often used incorrectly. Every 33 seconds in 2015, one child under 13 was involved in a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“No parent ever wants to get it wrong when it comes to a child’s safety,” said MBCHD Health Educator and Safe Kids Coordinator Stephanie Hyman. “Parents – don’t just think you know, make sure you know your child is secure in their car seat and are in the right seat for their age and size.”

Car crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research from the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused. Using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing them correctly are the best ways to reduce these deaths. More than one-third of children 12 and younger who died in crashes in 2015 while riding in cars, pickups, vans and SUVs were unbuckled. Many of those children could have survived if they had been buckled up.

You can perform a basic car seat check-up at home by following these five steps:

1. Right Seat. Make sure the car seat is appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height.
2. Right Place. Car seats should be installed in the back seat. Children should ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old.
3. Right Direction. Children should use a rear-facing car seat until age two. When he or she outgrows the seat, move your child to a forward-facing car seat.
4. Inch Test. When a car seat is installed, shake the base. If it is properly installed, it will not move more than an inch.
5. Pinch Test. Make sure the harness is tightly buckled in the correct slots. With the chest clip at armpit level, pinch the strap on your child’s shoulder. If you cannot pinch any excess webbing, your child is properly buckled.

 

MBCHD’s Car Seat Check Saturday is being held Saturday, Sept. 23, at Walmart at 1401 Gray Hwy. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All parents and caregivers are invited to attend this free event.

For more information on child car seat safety log on to www.NHTSA.gov/carseat.

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