Get Your Child’s Car Seat Checked on Sept. 23

The Oswego County Traffic Safety Board celebrates National Child Passenger Safety Week with a car seat safety check event on Saturday, Sept. 23. The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department, 640 Co. Rte. 20, Oswego.

“We offer these car seat checks to help ensure that your car seat is the right fit for your child and that it’s installed correctly,” said Oswego County Traffic Safety Board Coordinator Aine Foley. “Certified car seat safety technicians from various agencies will be there to help, answer questions and offer support and education to all attendees on proper car seat installation and use.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are a leading cause of death for children. In 2021, 710 children under the age of 13 were killed while another 100,000 more were injured in passenger vehicles. Of those killed, more than a third of them were riding unrestrained.

New York State law requires all children to be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system while riding in a motor vehicle until they reach their eighth birthday. Children under the age of two must ride in a rear-facing car seat.

“This is going to be a great event, and it’s free to the entire Oswego County community,” Foley added. “It’s our mission to check that car seats are used correctly to safeguard all children. We are grateful to the Oswego Town Volunteer Fire Department for allowing the use of their facilities to help ensure the safety of the smallest members of our communities.”

Appointments are not required to participate in this event. Car seat checks usually last between 30 and 45 minutes.

This car seat event is held by the Oswego County Traffic Safety Board through a grant from the New York State Governors Traffic Safety Committee.

If you have any questions about the car seat event, contact Aine Foley at 315-343-2344 ext. 122 or email at [email protected].