IMPERIAL COUNTY – The Imperial County Public Health Department, California Highway Patrol and the First 5 Imperial will join efforts on Saturday, September 23 rd to provide child safety information to local families during a Child Safety Awareness Day event. 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 take place from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., will be held in the west parking lot of the Imperial County Public Health Department in El Centro. The child must be present and in the car seat the day of the event. Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for children are often used incorrectly.

In 2021, a total of 710 children (under 13) were killed in passenger vehicles and more than 100,000 were injured. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than a third (36%) of children (under 13) who died while riding in passenger vehicles were unrestrained. No parent wants to ever get it wrong when it comes to his or her children’s safety. That is why we are hosting this public education event on Saturday. 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 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 kids under 13 is in the back seat of the car. Officer Arturo Platero, Public Information Officer for the California Highway Patrol stated, “motor vehicles crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research shows that 95 percent 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.”

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s NHTSA. For more information on child car safety and other car seat check events, go to safercar.gov/parents.