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UNION COUNTY TO CONDUCT “SEAT CHECK SATURDAY” ON SEPTEMBER 25TH

Springfield, NJ–Certified child passenger safety technicians will conduct seat inspections at the AAA Car Care Center in Springfield on Saturday, September 25th as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week announced Union County Freeholder Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan.  The technicians, members of the Union County Police Department, will work in conjunction with AAA seat technicians from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm. The AAA Car Care Center is located at 135 Route 22 East in Springfield.

Known as “Seat Check Saturday,” the event is held annually during National Child Passenger Safety Week. It is designed to provide hands-on assistance in the proper use of child safety seats.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly three out of four child safety seats are improperly installed in vehicles.

“This is a great opportunity for us to make parents and caregivers aware of the importance of safety seats for their children,” said Chairman Sullivan. “It’s the responsibity of every parent to ensure that their children are properly restrained, every ride, every time.”

According to NHTSA, in 2008 approximately 244 children under the age of five avoided fatal injuries in a car crash because they were properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. Parents can provide a good example for their children by buckling up themselves whenever they ride in a car.

To maximize child passenger safety, parents and caregivers should follow four basic rules:

* Read the manufacturer’s instructions to both your car seat and your vehicle for proper installation advice.
* Face the child safety seat in the proper direction. Infant seats always face backwards.
* Secure your child snugly in the car seat. Always buckle the seat’s harness system securely to hold your child safely in the seat.
* Secure the child car seat using the proper vehicle restraint system.  Anchoring the seat properly utilizing the vehicle restraint system is critical. A seat that is not buckled securely to the car can tip over, slide sideways or, in a crash, be ejected from the car.

The Union County Police conduct car seat inspections every Wednesday and Thursday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., excluding major holidays. No appointment is necessary.  For more information you can call the Traffic Safety Program Coordinator at 908-789-6830.