Child Passenger Safety Week starts September 23

As a way to ensure child passengers are riding safe health departments, sheriff’s offices, Safe Kids chapters and other highway safety partners will be holding free safety events and car seat checks around Georgia during National Child Passenger Safety Week September 23-29.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and its partners throughout the state recommend parents and caregivers make sure their children are riding safe by having their safety seat checked by a certified technician.

Child Passenger Safety Week utilizes activities like community events, training classes and car seat checks to make sure that not only car seats are installed correctly, but that children are buckled correctly.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the leading cause of death for children are car crashes; however, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent with infants and 54 percent with toddlers in passenger vehicles.

But in order to reduce the risk, the safety seat must be installed correctly; yet, additional studies indicate that two-out-of-three car seats are installed incorrectly.

During Child Passenger Safety Week, many agencies will be holding special events to increase child passenger safety and awareness.

In Stephens County, the Toccoa Police Department, located at 92 North Alexander Street, is a car seat fitting station.

To make an appointment with a certified technician call the Toccoa Police Department at 706-282-3244.

For more information regarding activities planned for Stephens County contact the Stephens County Health Department at 706-282-4507.