Car Safety Seat Check

Is Your Child Safe? Can You Be Sure?

Car Safety Seat Check – June 30th

Over 90 percent of child car seats are improperly installed or used incorrectly. Safe Kids USA is a non-profit organization solely dedicated to the safety of children and eliminating preventable childhood injuries. Their research, in what is believed to be the most comprehensive study ever done, shows that parents are not using child seats correctly. Safe Kids reviewed over 78,000 checklists, gathered from inspection events the organization held throughout 2009 and 2010. This study shows that 70% of parents are not using the tether straps that keep the top of child seats (and children’s heads) secured in
crashes and many are using incorrect types of seats for their children’s age/weight group. It is suspected that the rate for improper usage or car seats may even be much higher, because parents voluntarily brought their vehicles to these check-up events, emphasizing the need for additional car seat safety education. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, data shows that car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14, although the death rate has declined. Additionally, they report that
properly installed and used child safety seats decrease the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. Children are also 59% less likely to be injured in a “booster seat” than if they were using vehicle seat belts only.

It is important for a child to be in a properly secured child seat that meets the current safety standards and is appropriate for his/her age or weight. Many parents unknowingly use improper seating. It is also not uncommon for parents to use hand-me-down seats from prior siblings or car seats given to them from well intentioned friends or family. The problem is that many of those seats may no longer meet current safety guidelines or may have actually been recalled years ago.

AutoSmart and Target recognize the need for car seat safety inspections and instruction. They are hosting a FREE child seat safety check on Saturday, June 30th from 9am to 12 pm. The event will take place in the Target Parking Lot, 3020 US Route 34 Oswego, IL 60543

Certified child passenger safety technicians will instruct parents and/or caregivers on the proper use and installation of child restraints. Availability permitting, officers from the Oswego Police Department, Oswego Fire Department and Montgomery Police Department will be on hand to assist with instruction or to answer any questions parents may have. 

Fox Valley Area parents are encouraged to take advantage of this free event, if only for peace of mind. Safety reports and percentages often mean nothing to us… until our child becomes one of the statistics. Please don’t let that happen.

Be sure to bring your car seat! See you there.

Fee:  Free

Date:  Sat June 30

Time 9 am - 12 pm (First come first serve & cut off will be at 12 pm)

Place:  Target Parking Lot, 3020 Route 34, Oswego

Brought to you by:  AutoSmart, Target, Oswego Police Department, Oswego Fire Department and The Montgomery Police Departments