Department of Motor Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Wednesday, May 31, 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 June 

Free Inspections Available in Albany, Broome, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Livingston, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Saratoga, Suffolk and Westchester Counties

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 June in Albany, Broome, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Livingston, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Saratoga, Suffolk and Westchester 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.

“Warmer weather brings the opportunity to travel for many families throughout New York,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “Our free inspections provide a great service by ensuring that child car seats are properly installed.”

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. Providing 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 to secure their children in a car safety restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seats, and seat belts) appropriate for the child’s 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 June:

June 2             Child Safety Seat Check – Nassau County
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Astoria Bank, 300 East Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

June 2             Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tuscarora Nation Health Center, 5226 Walmore Road, Lewiston, NY 14092
Agency: Niagara County Traffic Safety Office
Contact: Grace Destino at (716) 438-3464

June 2             Child Safety Seat Check – Albany County
11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Sears of Colonie Center, 1417 Central Avenue, Colonie, NY 12205
Agency: Albany County DPW Traffic Safety Education and Capital Region SafeKids
Contact: Bill Van Alstyne at (518) 765-2565

June 3             Child Safety Seat Check – Westchester County
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant Town Hall, 1 Town Hall Plaza, Valhalla, NY 10595
Agency: Mt. Pleasant Police Department
Contact: Lt. Michael Pierce at (914) 769-1941

June 3             Child Safety Seat Check – Erie County
2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Catholic Health of Buffalo
144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Agency: Catholic Health and SafeKids WNY
Registration Required
Contact: For Registration: (716) 447-6205

June 8             Child Safety Seat Check – Saratoga County
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Clifton Park Halfmoon EMS, 15 Crossing Blvd., Clifton Park, NY 12065
By appointment only
Agency: New York State Police
Contact: Trooper Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258

June 10           Child Safety Seat Check – Suffolk County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Medford Fire Department, 171 Oregon Avenue, Medford, NY 11763
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

June 10           Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Rapids Fire Company, 7195 Plank Road, Lockport, NY 14094
Agency: Niagara County Traffic Safety Office
Contact: Grace Destino at (716) 438-3464

June 12           Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Day Road Park, 5014 - 5098 Day Road, Lockport, NY 14094
Agency: Niagara County Traffic Safety Office
Contact: Grace Destino at (716) 438-3464

June 15           Child Safety Seat Check – Cortland County
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Dr. Djafari's Office, 15 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY 13045
Agency: Cortland County Health Department
Contact: ReBecca Smith at (607) 758-5509

June 16           Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Niagara Active Fire Hall, 6010 Lockport Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Agency: Niagara County Traffic Safety Office
Contact: Grace Destino at (716) 438-3464

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Lewiston #1 Fire Hall, 145 North 6th Street, Lewiston, NY 14092
Agency: Niagara County Traffic Safety Office
Contact: Grace Destino at (716) 438-3464

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check – Westchester County
11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Crawford Park, 122 North Ridge Street, Rye Brook, NY 10573
Agency: Rye Brook Police Department
Contact: Sgt. Luigi Greco at (914) 937-1020

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check – Clinton County
10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
AAA Northway, Booth Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Agency: Clinton County Sheriff's Office
Contact: William Bush at (518) 565-4397

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check - Cortland County
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Homer Intermediate School, 58 Clinton Street, Homer, NY 13077
Agency: Cortland County Health Department
Contact: ReBecca Smith at (607) 758-5509

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check – Erie County
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Catholic Health of Buffalo
144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo
Contact: Health Connections: (716) 447-6205

June 17           Child Safety Seat Check – Monroe County
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sam's Club, 700 Elmridge Center Drive, Rochester, NY 14626
Agency: Greece Safe Kids
Contact: Pete Sidari at (585) 581-5430

June 21           Child Safety Seat Check – Albany County
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
New York 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

June 23           Child Safety Seat Check – Broome County
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Visions Federal Credit Union, 24 McKinley Avenue, Endicott, NY 13760
Agency: Broome County Health Department
Contact: Christine Muss at (607) 778-2807

June 24           Child Safety Seat Check – Livingston County
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wentworth Motors, 139 Franklin Street, Dansville, NY 14437
Agency: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County
Contact: Katelyn Sanders at (585) 991-5420

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 at 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.

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