Car seat safety checks in several locations Saturday, Sept. 23
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Transportation and Safe Communities are hosting car seat safety check up events on Saturday, September 23 in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.
Child Passenger Safety Week is September 17-23, 2023.
Car seat safety technicians will perform car seat inspections, discuss car seat installation/usage and review expiration dates and car seat recalls.
“Roughly 46% of the car seats installed in cars and installed incorrectly,” said Sgt. Clark Parrott with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “So you think about just every other one that you see is probably installed incorrectly. Our most prized possessions are our kids that are in those car seats and those booster seats.”
Sgt. Parrott recommends parents read the owner’s manual when installing a car seat.
“That will answer 98% of the questions that you have,” said Sgt. Parrott. “Understand that car seats and booster seats have expiration dates on them. They are stamped on the bottom side.”
“At these events, there will be certified car seat technicians there to help you to make sure that you understand every component on how to operate that carseat,” he said. “They’re going to be able to answer a lot of questions as far as when they can go from forward facing from rear facing, things like that, when they can transition out of a car seat to a booster seat to a high back booster seat and things like that.”
Sgt. Parrott does not recommend purchasing a used car seat or booster seat.
“Try not to buy a car seat or a booster seat at a flea market or a garage sale, a hand-me-down, because you don’t know the history of the car seat,” he said. “It may have been in a traffic crash and the stress points on the car seats, boost seats might have hairline cracks. You don’t want to risk it with your child in there should you be in a traffic crash. Now those hairline cracks, stress points are weakened and now your child is injured from it. So just stay away from hand me down car seats, booster seats, flea markets, things like that.”
Sgt. Parrott reminds parents to not put children in car seats with a thick coat. Instead, put a blanket over them once they are buckled in.
10 a.m.-1 p.m
Cape Girardeau Fire Station #1
1 S. Sprigg
Cape Girardeau, MO
Prior to the event, contact Emily Church to make an appointment at 573-339-6365.
8 a.m.-11 a.m.
Jackson Fire Station
525 S. Hope Street
Jackson, MO
8 a.m.-11 a.m.
Poplar Bluff Fire Department
300 S Broadway Street
Poplar Bluff, MO
Prior to event, please contact Emily Church to make an appointment at 573-339-6365.
Dunklin County Health Department
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
402 Recovery Rd.
Kennett, MO
Prior to the event, contact Emily Church to make an appointment at 573-339-6365.
Related story:
MoDOT, Safe Communities of Cape Girardeau hosting car seat safety check events
