Car Seat Check Event on Saturday, September 23
Certified Technicians in Rockford, IL will Check Car Seats and Warn Against the Most Common Eight Installation Mistakes
Rockford IL – Every day in America, too many children are riding in the wrong car seats or are riding completely unrestrained. To help combat the issue, Safe Kids Winnebago Coalition announced today it will conduct a car seat safety event during National Child Passenger Safety week September 17 – 23, 2017. Babies R Us will have certified child passenger safety (CPS) technicians on hand from 10am-2pm to check car seats for proper installation and educate parents and caregivers on how to choose the correct car seats and install them properly in their vehicles. This event is one of 93 events in Illinois sponsored by AAA and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
“By attending Rockford’s car seat event on 9-23-17, parents and caregivers can be sure their kids are riding as safely as possible in their vehicle.” Furthermore, Penny Lentz, Safe Kids Coalition Coordinator, added, even if kids are in the right seat, sometimes they are not buckled correctly, or the seat isn’t installed in the vehicle properly. The most common mistakes can present the biggest dangers according to CPS technicians. This year, Illinois events will focus on educating parents on the dangers of these eight (8) mistakes:
- Turning the child forward facing too soon
- Not adjusting the harness snugly against the child
- Not securing the car seat in the vehicle properly
- Forgetting to register the car seat for recall notifications
- Having toys or other items unsecured in the vehicle
- Not using the lower anchors/LATCH system as approved
- Not using the top tether on a forward facing car seat
- Moving to the next car seat or booster seat too soon
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he/she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and top tether. After outgrowing his or her car seat, the child should be placed in a booster seat.
While Illinois law states a child must be in an appropriate car seat or booster seat until their eighth birthday, most eight-year-old children are not tall enough for the seat belt to fit them correctly. These kids need to stay in a booster seat until they are taller—4’9” is the recommended height.
Remember: In Illinois, children are required to be in a car seat or booster seat until at least age 8 and all children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat.
For more information on Child Passenger Safety visit http://www.nhtsa.gov or www.buckleupillinois.org.