Experts to check car seat safety at Woodstock event

Submitted by McHenry County Department of Health

In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 15-21, a car seat safety check will be conducted Saturday, Sept. 21 in the parking lot in front of the Secretary of State’s office, Department of Motor Vehicles, 428 S. Eastwood Drive, Woodstock.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on hand from 9 a.m. to noon to check car seats for proper installation and advise parents, grandparents and caregivers how to choose the right car seats and install them properly in their vehicles. It is free to the public and is a joint collaboration by representatives from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Safe Kids of McHenry County and McHenry County Department of Health.

This year’s theme is “Get a Head Start with the Right Car Seat.” This event is one of 88 Illinois events sponsored by AAA, Secretary of State and the Illinois Department of Transportation. IDOT recommends all children age 12 and younger should ride in the back seat. A proper car seat should be selected based on a child’s age and size; choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.

Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children. Approximately two children per day under the age of 13 were killed in 2011 and 338 were injured every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups and vans.

To help eliminate these deaths, and as part of Child Passenger Safety Week, the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is highlighting the important safety benefits associated with the proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.