Seat Check Saturday Coming up September 21

BOISE- Flying cheerios, missing socks- backseat riders can get a little out of control. One thing you can control is your child's safety. It'sNational Child Passenger Safety Week (September 15-21) and a great timeto make sure your child's car seat fits. The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has partnered with organizations around the state for National Seat Check Saturday on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

Last year in Idaho there were 2,538crashes involving a child passenger between 0-6 years old. 515 of those kids were unrestrained in the vehicles. Two children died, one was in a car seat, one was not.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)study found that while most parents and caregivers believe they know how to properly installtheir car seats, about half (48%) have installed their child's car seat incorrectly.An appointment with a professional Child Passenger Safety (CPS)technician can go a long way in protecting kids and giving parents peace of mind.

"CPS technicians undergo extensive training," says Tabitha Smith, Program Manager for Occupant Protection in Idahoand former CPS Technician. "It'snot something that'staught in a couple-hour class. It'sthree to four days long. Sowhen we send people to technicians, they truly know what they'retalking about."

This week in Idahothere are many free seat check events coming up on Seat Check Saturday and beyond:

At these seat check events, certified child passenger safety technicians will check if a car seat is the right type for a child's age and size, check that it fits correctly, and that it is properly installedin the vehicle.

Several organizations also provide seat check appointments year-round. Visit OHS's online map to find a provider near youand make an appointment.

For more details on what to expect at a seat check appointment, check out OHS's blog.