FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 6, 2024

DECATUR, IL- Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold events and raise awareness throughout Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September 15-21. The Macon County Health Department will be offering a free car seat check event on Friday, September 20^th, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event will take place in the Crossing Healthcare drive-thru facility, located at 990 N Water St. Decatur, IL 62521.

“Unfortunately, many parents and caregivers underestimate the difficulty surrounding proper use regarding car seats,” said Emily O’Connell. “They believe they’re protecting their kids, but almost half of car seats are either the wrong seat for the child’s age and size, or the seats are installed incorrectly.” According to NHTSA, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children. Every day in 2022, an average of three children 14 and younger were killed in crashes, and another 429 were injured. “We know parents and caregivers want to keep their kids safe,” added Emily O’Connell, “so they’ll do everything in their power to protect them. An easy way to do that is to double-check their car seats.”

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be available to provide parents and caregivers with an opportunity to learn about child passenger safety check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly. Caregivers should bring the following with them to the check event: the child who will be riding the car seat, the vehicle’s owner’s manual, and the car seat instruction manual, if possible. Appointments are not required, but strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 217-423-6988 and choosing option 6.

For additional information on child passenger safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website at www.nhtsa.gov or the Illinois Department of Transportation’s website at www.buckleupillinois.org. 

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