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Free child seat inspections available Saturday throughout state
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Sept. 27, 2018 - Parents and caregivers can get free child safety seat inspections and installations at nine locations throughout the state this Saturday as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, the
Louisiana Highway Safety Commission
announced.
The free inspections and installations will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at these locations:
- Baton Rouge Police Dept., 9000 Airline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 7081
- Divine Mercy Church, 7337 Lentini Parkway, Kenner, LA 70065
- The Home Depot, 1717 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Houma, LA 70360
- Southwest Beverage Company, 3860 Broad St., Lake Charles, LA 70615
- Rapides Regional Trauma Center, 211 Fourth St, Alexandria, LA 71301
- Hixson Ford, 6300 Frontage Rd., Monroe, LA 71202
- Sheriff's Safety Town, 8910 Jewella St., Shreveport, LA 71118
- Babies R Us, 5700 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70506
- Church of the King, 22205 Little Creek Rd., Mandeville, LA 70471
While car seats provide vital protection for children, research by Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force shows that 92 percent of car seats are incorrectly installed in Louisiana, according to LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman.
Freeman also noted that, despite widespread use of child safety seats, vehicle crashes remain the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for infants under the age of 1 and for toddlers ages 1 through 3. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 4 years and older.
"Our observational surveys show that Louisiana drivers are putting their children in safety seats, but they must be correctly installed to work properly," Freeman said. "I urge anyone who transports a child to make sure the safety seat is the correct kind for the child and that it is installed by a certified technician. Seat Check Saturday is a great opportunity to make sure we are keeping our children safe."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reiterates the recent recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics to "keep your child rear-facing as long as possible," since it's the best way to keep your child safe. A child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat's manufacturer.
Once children outgrow the rear-facing car seat, they are ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. Keep them secured this way until they outgrow the harness seat, and which time they should travel in a booster seat until they outgrow the booster seat, which for some children, could be up to age 12.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#find-compare-seats
NHTSA has put together an informational video that explains what type of seat is appropriate for children as they grow. You can watch the video at
https://youtu.be/u7HV8TnG6wI.
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For more information, contact:
Mark Lambert
225-937-8113
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Louisiana Highway Safety Commission | 7919 Independence Blvd, Suite 2100
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