Press Release - 10-05-17 - 2

DMV News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 5, 2017

Contact:
Tiffany Portzer           
[email protected]   

New York State DMV and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Announce
Free Child Car Seat Inspections and Assistance through October

Free Inspections Available in Clinton, Delaware, Erie Monroe, Saratoga and Wyoming 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 October in Clinton, Delaware, Erie Monroe, Saratoga and Wyoming 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.

“Ensuring your child’s safety while traveling on New York’s roadways is always a priority,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “Child car seat inspections, with the assistance provided by law enforcement and community organizations, provide parents and caregivers with crucial resources to safely travel in New York State.”

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 October:

October 5       Child Safety Seat Check - Monroe County

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tompkins Bank of Castile, 724 Long Pond Road, Rochester, NY 14612
Agency: Greece Safe Kids
Contact: Pete Sidari at (585) 581-5430

October 7       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

October 11     Child Safety Seat Check - Wyoming County

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Strykersville Fire Company, 594 Minkel Road, Strykersville, NY 14145
Agency: Wyoming County Public Health
Contact: Cheryl Glaus at (585) 786-8890

October 14     Child Safety Seat Check - Delaware County

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sidney McDonald's, 141 Delaware Avenue, Sidney, NY 13838
Agency: Delaware County Public Health & Village of Sidney Police
Contact: Heather Warner at (607) 832-5200

October 14     Child Safety Seat Check - Clinton County

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lowe's Home Improvement, 39 Center Drive, Champlain Center South, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Agency: Clinton County Sheriff's Office
Contact: William Bush at (518) 565-4397

October 24     Child Safety Seat Check - Saratoga County

4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Clifton Parl Halfmoon EMS, 15 Crossings Blvd., Clifton Park, NY 12065
Agency: New York State Police
Appointment required
Contact: Trooper Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258

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 on Facebook and Twitter.

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