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Parents will be able to have their children’s car seats checked to make sure they are properly installed this Saturday at 400 locations nationwide as part of a new national campaign to improve child safety, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced today during a visit to one of the planned inspection sites.
“As any EMT, policeman or fire official will tell you, a properly installed child safety seat could mean the difference between life and death,” Secretary Peters said. “I know America’s parents are busy, but a few minutes of your time tomorrow could save you a lifetime of regret.”
On Saturday, certified inspectors will be on hand at 400 inspection stations across the country to examine child safety seats free of charge. The Secretary also said that starting next week, the Department would launch a new education campaign designed to get parents to use new latch technology to install child seats in motor vehicles. The latches make it easier to use when installing child seats, she added.
Secretary Peters noted that child restraints are effective, but only when they’re correctly installed. Last year, 98 percent of America’s infants were regularly restrained in vehicles. However, she said, seven out of 10 child safety seats are not installed correctly.
When properly used, child restraint systems reduce fatalities by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars, she added.
