Making sure children are secured in car seats saves lives. But for a child safety seat to work correctly, it must be appropriate for the child’s age and size, installed properly in the vehicle, and adjusted to fit the child securely.
To help parents and caregivers make sure their children are safe when riding in a vehicle, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and its safety partners across the state are hosting child seat check events statewide during National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 14-20. Certified technicians will be on hand at each event to make sure safety seats and booster seats are properly installed.
According to the information gathered by VDH Safety Seat Check Stations, 80 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly. In 2013, an estimated 50 percent of children ages 9 and younger who were killed in a motor vehicle collisions in Virginia were not in an age-appropriate restraint in accordance with the law.
“Car seat installation can be confusing, and the recommendations based on a child’s age and size are very important for adults to understand and follow,” said Lisa Wooten, Injury Prevention Program Supervisor. “National Child Passenger Safety Week is the perfect opportunity for parents and caregivers to get help, ask questions and most importantly take steps to keep their children safe when riding in their vehicles.”
To learn more about child passenger safety, free safety seats for income-eligible families, or to find a schedule of Child Passenger Safety Week 2014 seat check events across Virginia, visit www.safetyseatva.org or call 1-800-732-8333.
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