Department of Motor Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Contacts:
Joe Morrissey             [email protected]       
Rich Meddaugh          [email protected]

New York State DMV and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Announce Free Child Car Seat Inspections and Assistance through February
Free Inspections Available in Albany, Erie, Essex and Clinton Counties in February 2017

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 February in Albany, Erie, Essex and Clinton 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.

“Having parents or caregivers safely prepare their children for travel is a traffic safety priority here in New York State,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “The best protection for any child is to ensure that their car seats are checked and properly installed. These child car seat inspections are potential lifesaving events that safeguard our children as they head out on New York’s roadways.” 

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 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 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 this campaign is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly trained and securing 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 February:

February 8, 2017       Child Safety Seat Check - Essex County
4:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
New York State Police - Troop B Headquarters, 1097 NYS Route 86, Ray Brook, NY 12977
Agency: New York State Police
Contact: T/Sgt. Brian J. Goetz at (518) 897-2023

February 9, 2017       Child Safety Seat Check - Albany County
4:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
State Police - Latham, 760 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110
By appointment only
Agency: New York State Police
Contact: Trooper Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258

February 11, 2017     Child Safety Seat Check - Erie County
11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Buffalo Fire Department, 2044 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14211
Agency: Buffalo Fire Department
Contact: Shelby McKinney-Thompson at (716) 851-8333

February 18, 2017     Child Safety Seat Check - Clinton County
10:00 a.m - 1:30 p.m.
Bill McBride Chevrolet, 5101 U.S. Avenue, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Agency: Clinton County Sheriff's Office
Contact: William Bush at (518) 565-4397

In addition to car seat inspections, parents and caregivers can view a series of videos produced by NHSTA. The videos, which are available on its 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.