Last week I shared how important it is to make sure your child rides in the right car seat. We also want to make sure you know how to install and use the right car seat for your child.
It’s important to understand that it’s all about the seat. The model or type of vehicle you drive isn’t a factor in how you install his seat or whether you make her buckle up.
There is a common misconception that the bigger the vehicle the safer it is; however, this isn’t always the case. The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that when compared to other vehicles, crashes involving SUVs and light trucks resulted in a far greater number of deaths for children than vans or passenger cars. Worse yet in 2014, almost half of all children who died while riding in SUVs weren’t buckled in at the time of their deaths. Children need to be both buckled in, and buckled in the right kind of seat, whether a child safety seat, booster seat or seat belt—every trip, every time.
National Seat Check Saturday is Sept. 24. We hope to see you that day at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt on Sunset Boulevard from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will inspect your child’s seat for free in about 30 minutes.
If you can’t make it to Menchie’s, you can still have your car seat examined at a Child Car Seat Inspection Station. To locate an inspection station in your area, go to www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm or download the free SaferCar app.