GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children in the United States and that’s why parents need to make sure their child’s car seat is installed properly.
On Thursday, the Center for Childhood Safety in Green Bay held a free community car seat check event at Cliff Wall Subaru Mazda Mitsubishi.
Executive director Kimberly Hess says installing a car seat may seem simple, but with hundreds of models on the market, it can become confusing to parents.
“It takes about 30 minutes to go through every car seat check because we want parents know we want to educate them on how to install that car seat right. So when they leave here they feel confident they can put it back in,” said Hess.
Hess says 9 out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly.
“At the Center for Childhood Safety, we do over 700 car seat checks a year. This is a common thing that lots of parents come to us (about). It’s a free resource.”
Basics to keep in mind when installing your car seat:
- Have less than an inch of movement at the belt path or where the lower anchors are. It needs to be snug and not moving.
- Keep the car seat rear facing until your child is 2 years of age.
- Make sure the harness straps are tight. Move the chest piece up towards the child’s armpits.
For more information on correctly installing your child’s car seat CLICK HERE.
The organization’s next car seat safety check event will be held on August 12th at Broadway Hyundai in Green Bay.
