UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio — While child passenger safety is important year-round, Child Passenger Safety Week, September 15-21, serves as an annual reminder to parents and caregivers of the importance of keeping children in the correct seat for their height, weight, and development level.
Wyandot County Public Health offers seat checks to parents and caregivers by appointment and during annual seat check events offering free instruction for correctly installing and using the right car seats for their children. Checks are conducted by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians or CPSTs. The next car seat check event is Wyandot County Public Health’s BOOster Bash, held Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 3-6 p.m. at Trinity Evangelical Church during the annual Boo to The Flu vaccination clinic. Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly.
“Unfortunately, many parents are overconfident about their car seats,” Wyandot County Ohio Buckles Buckeyes coordinator Callan Pugh said. “They think they’re protecting their kids, but nationwide almost half of car seats are either the wrong seat for the child’s age and size, or the seats are installed incorrectly. We’re here to help make understanding car seats and boosters easier for parents so they are empowered to make the best decisions for the safety of their children.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children. Every day in 2022, an average of three children 14 and younger were killed in crashes, and another 429 were injured.
“We know parents love their kids, so they’ll do everything in their power to protect them” Wyandot County Public Health CPST Beth Bower said, “An easy way to do that is to double-check their car seats — it’s worth making sure.”
When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage — from infants to teens. Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to correctly install that seat in their vehicle. Children should stay in each seat and position until they outgrow those limits, and it’s important for all children under 13 to ride in the back seat.
To schedule a seat check with Wyandot County Public Health or sign up for an upcoming event call Wyandot County Public Health at 419-294-3852. For more information on child car seat safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, visit www.nhtsa.gov/therightseat.
