IMPERIAL COUNTY – The Imperial County Public Health Department, California Highway Patrol, and First 5 Imperial will join efforts on Saturday, September 21st to host a National Car Seat Check Saturday event during National Seat Check Saturday. That day, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians from participating agencies will offer car seat inspections and education. If the seat is expired, damaged, or not the right size for the child, it will be destroyed, and an appropriate car seat will be provided and installed at no cost to parents and caregivers.  The event, scheduled to begin at 7:00 am, will be held in the south parking lot adjacent to the Imperial County Public Health Department located at 935 Broadway in El Centro, California.

Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for children are often used incorrectly.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 120,000 children under the age of 13 were injured and 429 children were killed in passenger vehicle accidents; 39% of children who died were unrestrained. No parent wants to risk their child’s safety.  That is why we are hosting this event. 
Parents can come out and be certain that their children are secure in their car seats. Parents and caregivers interested in having their child’s car seat inspected by a certified technician during this event are encouraged to call (442) 265-1388 to schedule an appointment. The child must be present and in the car seat on the day of the event.  

The NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their seat. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he/she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. After outgrowing the forward-facing car seats, children should be placed in booster seats until they are big enough to fit seat belts properly without help from a booster seat. The safest place for all children under the age of 13 is in the back seat of the car.

Officer Arturo Platero, Public Information Officer for the California Highway Patrol, stated, “motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research shows that 95% of car seats are installed or used improperly.  Using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing them correctly is one of the best ways to reduce these deaths.”  

For more information on child car safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to safercar.gov/parents. For additional resources, please go to the Imperial County Public Health Department website at https://www.icphd.org/emergency-medical-services/child-safety-seat-program.