HARRISBURG — Next week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, state police and Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project are encouraging drivers to take advantage of free car seat checks across the state.
“Seat belts are your best defense in a crash, but they were created for adults,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “It’s important that parents and caregivers take time this week to ensure they are using the right car seat or booster seat for their child’s size and age.”
Certified technicians will be available to check any car seat installed in a vehicle. Checks are scheduled 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates at the various locations: Sept. 17 at Kane Community Center, 46 N. Fraley St., and the Port Allegany Fire Department, 65 W. Maple St.; Sept. 19 at the Kane Community Center and Bradford City Fire Department, 25 Chestnut St.; and Sept. 23 at the Port Allegany Fire Department.
Free car seat safety checks, by certified child passenger safety technicians, will be offered 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center, 723 E. Main St. For the car seat checks, appointments are requested but not necessary. For those interested in scheduling a time, call CARE at (814) 362-4621 or email reception@careforchildren.info. Parents/ guardians are asked to bring both the vehicle manual and car seat instructions if available. The child should be present for proper fitting.
Additionally, Saturday, Sept. 23 has been designated as “National Seat Check Saturday.”
State police personnel certified as Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians will be conducting free child seat fitting events across the state. Caregivers can have their car seats checked for suitability, receive instruction on the proper installation, have seat(s) installed, learn to properly harness a child in a seat and check seats for recalls.
“Properly installed child safety seats save lives, and it’s vital that Pennsylvania’s youngest passengers are safe when traveling,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “We encourage parents and caregivers to have their seats checked by a certified child passenger seat technician to ensure proper installation.”
According to national statistics, car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers; however,46 percent of car seats and booster seats are installed or used incorrectly. From January through June 2023, PSP members conducted 525 child safety seat inspections and discovered 207 incidents of misuse. PSP completed more than 1,000 checks in both 2021 and 2022 and found misuse rates of up to 40 percent.
