Local child safety seat inspections

Errors in correct usage common

[September 23, 2008]  On Saturday, the Logan County Department of Public Health helped raise awareness of the importance of using child safety seats as local families were educated on proper installation.

During a child safety seat check, Logan County Department of Public Health staff worked with four local technicians to check 21 child safety seats for correct installation. Out of the 21 child safety seats checked, none came in correctly installed.

Nationally, nine out of every 10 child safety seats are incorrectly installed.

The most common child safety seat misuses are: child turned forward-facing too early; harness straps loose; child graduated from a booster seat to a safety belt too soon; and the child safety seat too loose in the vehicle.

To mark the beginning of National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 21-27, certified child passenger safety technicians across the country provided free on-site child safety seat inspections to help parents and caregivers make sure their vehicle's child safety seats were appropriately sized and properly installed.

The Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Traffic Safety and AAA sponsored child safety seat checkpoints across Illinois. The local health department joined over 90 police departments, hospitals, fire departments, health departments and community organizations across the state to educate parents and children on the importance of properly installed child safety seats and booster seats.

To schedule an appointment to have your child safety seat checked at the health department; contact Kim Escobedo at 217-735-2317.

For more information on child passenger safety, visit www.buckleupillinois.org.

[Text from file received from the Logan County Department of Health]

Previous related article

• Health dept. offers child seat safety inspections

• National Child Passenger Safety Week starts
  (Sept. 21-27)