Announces Free Car Seat Checks Available During Child Passenger Safety Week
Free Car Seat Fittings Offered at Nearly Two Dozen Locations Statewide to Help Ensure Safety Seats Fit Correctly and Are Installed Properly
Free Fittings Offered by Appointment Year-Round
Governor Kathy Hochul and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee today announced that free child car seat checks by certified child passenger safety technicians will be available across the state during Child Passenger Safety Week, which starts today and concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 25, 2021. The events are part of a yearlong safety initiative in which state and local law enforcement agencies, together with various community safety partners, offer free fittings.
“Parents and caregivers have enough to worry about, so I hope they will take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their children are properly secured in the appropriate booster seat or car seat for their age and size,” Governor Hochul said. “Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children, but correctly using a car seat, booster seat or seat belt is the most effective way to keep them safe while on the road.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2015 to 2019, 3,321 children under 13 were killed while riding in passenger vehicles. In 2019, an average of two children under 13 were killed, and an estimated 374 were injured every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans, and more than one-third (38 percent) were not restrained in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.
NYS Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner and GTSC Chair Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “Providing parents and caregivers with safety information and training on how to properly install and use a child safety seat is crucial to protecting young lives on our roadways. Children are safest when correctly secured in the right car seat or booster seat for their age and size, regardless of the type of vehicle.”
According to NHTSA, when used correctly, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger vehicles. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively. While most parents believe they have properly installed their child’s car seat, the seats were installed incorrectly in 46 percent of cases.
The following car seat check events aim to ensure all parents and caregivers understand how to choose an appropriate seat for the child’s age and size and how to install the seat correctly. Trained technicians will use the model of “Learn, Practice, and Explain” to educate caregivers on how to select a child restraint that will fit their child, fit their vehicle and be used correctly every time.
CENTRAL NEW YORK
When: Tuesday, September 22, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Minoa Fire Department, 240 North Main Street, Minoa
For more information, contact Captain Slater at (315) 682-2212 or jslater@manliuspolice.org. Event will be limited to eight available half-hour time slots to maintain social distance. Walk-ins are still welcome but may be asked to wait. To schedule an appointment, call Manlius Police at the number above, weekdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., email the address above, or send a message through Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Town-of-Manlius-Police-Department-179212188794353/.
When: Saturday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Walmart Supercenter, 5399 West Genesee Street, Camillus
For more information, contact New York State Police at (315) 455-2887 or dtraffic@troopers.ny.gov.
When: Saturday, September 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: SUNY Oswego Parking Lot 7 Romney Field House, 3 Barnes Drive (Sheldon Avenue), Oswego
For more information, contact Kyle Boeckmann at (315) 343-2344 or mbeers@menteramb.com. Masks required regardless of Vaccination status. Appointment preferred.
If you cannot attend one of these free car seat check events, you can make an appointment with a car seat fitting station near you. Find more information on upcoming car seat check events near you. See ratings on all car seats.
In addition to car seat fittings, parents and caregivers can view a series of videos produced by NHSTA on proper installation of rear-facing and forward-facing car seats and booster seats. NHTSA also offers information on registering a car seat and finding the right car seat based on a child’s age and size.
Two years ago, a new law took effect requiring any child under the age of two to be in a rear-facing car seat. If a child outgrows an infant-only seat before reaching their second birthday, it is recommended that a convertible or all-in-one car seat with higher rear-facing height and weight limits be used. These seats should be installed in the rear-facing position until the child reaches the rear-facing weight or height limit set by the car seat manufacturer. NHTSA reports that rear-facing seats are the best option for a young child because they are equipped with a harness and, in a crash, cradle and move with the child to reduce the stress to the child’s neck and spine.
For more information about child passenger safety, visit the GTSC website.
