Free car seat inspections on Thursday
Child Passenger Safety Week is September 18-24
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Every 33 seconds, one child under the age of 13 is involved in a car crash. Many times, deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts.
Child Passenger Safety Week, celebrated September 18 to 24, reminds parents and guardians to make sure they are using the correct car seat installed correctly.
Free car seat inspections will be available 1-4 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, at the Children’s Consignment Sale of Morgantown, held at the West Virginia National Guard Morgantown Readiness Center, courtesy of the WVU Medicine Children’s Injury Prevention and Safety Program.
Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury and death in children, but proper use of car seats and boosters can prevent many of these incidents. Unfortunately, three out of four car seats are not used or installed correctly.
Christine Haufe, R.N., Injury Prevention and Safety Program coordinator at WVU Medicine Children’s, is a certified child passenger safety technician and performs car seat education and checks in the local community and throughout the state.
“One of the common mistakes I see is in choosing an appropriate car seat for a child,” Haufe said. “A child should ride in a rear-facing car seat until at least 2 years old, in a forward-facing harnessed seat until at least age 5, and in a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. It’s important to meet with a certified child passenger safety technician to ensure your child is traveling in the right seat correctly.”
The WVU Medicine Children’s Injury Prevention and Safety Program is sponsored in part by Kohl’s Cares, an initiative by Kohl’s department stores to support health and educational opportunities for children nationwide through local hospital partners.
Free car seat inspections are always available Monday through Friday by appointment. If you have questions about your child’s car seat or would like to schedule an appointment, contact Haufe at 304-598-6011 or visit http://healthybabieswv.com/car-seat-safety.