Parents and Caregivers Urged to Get Child Safety Seats Inspected

JOHNSON CITY, NY – The New York State Police and the Broome County Traffic Safety Program are urging parents and caregivers to make sure their child safety seats are properly installed on “National Seat Check Saturday,” September 25, 2010. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25, 2010), Burlington Coat Factory will have certified technicians available to provide free hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in their parking lot at the Oakdale Mall. Families that are interested should bring their child safety seat(s), their child/children, the vehicle that the child safety seat will be installed into, the car seat manual, and the vehicle manual. Inspections will be done on a first come, first serve basis.

1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until a minimum of age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).
4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belt in the back seat, if it fits properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).