New York State DMV and the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee Announce Free Child Car Seat Inspections and Assistance through April
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced that free child car seat inspections are available to parents and caregivers during the month of April in Madison, Erie, Cortland, Onondaga, Columbia and Niagara Counties. As part of a year-long safety initiative, state and local law enforcement agencies, along with various community safety partners, are offering free child car seat inspections by certified child passenger safety technicians.
“As the weather continues to improve, more and more drivers will be getting out on New York’s roadways,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “I encourage parents and caregivers to take the opportunity to ensure that their child car seats are checked and properly installed. These free inspections are an easy, but important step in protecting children year round.”
Trained technicians will use the model of “Learn, Practice, and Explain” to educate each caregiver on how to select a child restraint that will fit their child, fit their vehicle and be used correctly every time. According to Traffic Safety Marketing (TSM), car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old. Many deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts. Getting safety information and car seat instructions to parents and caregivers is crucial to saving young lives.
The main priority for GTSC’s campaign is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly trained to secure their children in a car safety restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seats, and seat belts) appropriate for their age and size, and to ensure the safety restraints are properly used and installed by parents and caregivers.
In 2012, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey found that 20 percent of all drivers of child passengers did not read any instructions on how to properly install their child restraints, yet 90 percent felt “confident” or “very confident” that their car seats and booster seats were installed correctly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.
Below is a listing of child safety seat checks available across the state for April:
April 1 Child Safety Seat Check – Madison County
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Tops Plaza, 3392 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota, NY 13032
April 1 Child Safety Seat Check – Erie County
2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Catholic Health of Buffalo
144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Registration Required
Contact for Registration: (716) 447-6205
April 7 Child Safety Seat Check – Cortland County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Cortlandville Fire Department, 999 Tompkins Street, Cortland, NY 13045
April 8 Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
St. Michael’’s Methodist Church, 6379 Wolcottsville Road, Akron, NY 14001
April 8 Child Safety Seat Check – Madison County
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Price Chopper Plaza, 142 Genesee Street, Oneida, NY 13421
April 15 Child Safety Seat Check – Onondaga County
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Wetzel Road Church of Christ, 4268 Wetzel Road, Liverpool, NY 13088
April 15 Child Safety Seat Check – Columbia County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Ghent Price Chopper, 2614 Route 66, Ghent, NY 12075
April 22 Child Safety Seat Check – Cortland County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
NYS Grange Museum, 122 Clinton Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045
April 23 Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
St. Johnsburg Fire Hall, 7165 Ward Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
April 29 Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Bergholz Fire Hall, 2470 Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304
In addition to car seat inspections, parents and caregivers can view a series of videos produced by NHSTA. The videos, which are available on NHTSA’s website, instruct parents and caregivers how to install rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and booster seats.
If you cannot attend one of the listed free child car seat inspections, you can make a free appointment with a child seat inspection site near you. Find more information on upcoming child safety seat checks near you. See ratings on all car seats.
For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow the DMV conversation online at Facebook and Twitter.