Police to Provide Free Child Car Seat Inspection

Law enforcement agencies from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties, along with Maryland State Police and in partnership with local advocates announced today they will conduct a “National Seat Check” event as part of Child Passenger Safety Week.  The event will be held Sept. 16-22 and is free to the public.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand to check car seats for proper installation and advise parents and caregivers how to choose the right car seats and install them properly in their vehicles.

As of October 1, 2012, the child passenger safety laws will no longer include a weight limit, but will require all children up to age 8 to be restrained in a proper child safety seat – to include booster seats.  Best practice information will be provided.  These practices include rear-facing seats over an extended time for maximum benefit of the head, neck and spine protection and using a 5 point harness system for longer periods prior to moving into a booster seat.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13.  Crash data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2010 shows that about 2 children aged 12 or younger were killed and 325 were injured each day in passenger vehicles.

As a final reminder for maximum safety, a parent or caregiver should have the car seat installation inspected by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to ensure their children are in the right seats for their age and size.  Children 12 and under should always ride in the back seat.

The first checkpoint was held Monday, Sept. 17, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in partnership with Medstar St. Mary’s Hospital at the back parking lot of the new Outpatient Pavilion.

For more information on car seat safety, Child Passenger Safety Week and to find other seat check events, visit www.safercar.gov/therightseat.