Press Release - 12-3-2019

DMV News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Contacts:
Lisa Koumjian
[email protected]

Tim O’Brien
[email protected]

NEW YORK STATE DMV AND THE GOVERNOR’S TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE FREE CHILD SEAT INSPECTIONS AND ASSISTANCE DURING DECEMBER

Free Inspections Offered in Albany, Erie, Niagara and Onondaga Counties

Free Inspections by Appointment Offered Year-Round

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today announced that free car seat inspections are available to parents and caregivers during the month of December throughout the state. As part of a yearlong safety initiative, state and local law enforcement agencies, together with various community safety partners, are offering free inspections by certified child passenger safety technicians.

DMV Commissioner and GTSC Chair Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “Now is the perfect time to make sure your child’s safety seat is the right fit and installed correctly. Properly installed car seats can greatly reduce the risk of death and injury during a crash, so I encourage drivers to use this opportunity to make sure your child’s car seat is safe and secure before hitting the road for the holidays.”

These events aim to ensure all parents and caregivers understand how to choose an appropriate seat for the child’s age and size and how to install the seat correctly. Trained technicians will use the model of “Learn, Practice, and Explain” to educate caregivers on how to select a child restraint that will fit their child, fit their vehicle and be used correctly every time.

Getting safety information and car seat instructions to parents and caregivers is crucial to saving young lives. 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 vehicles. 

The following car seat check events are scheduled across the state in December:

CAPITAL REGION

December 18                                   Albany County

4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
State Police Latham, 760 Troy Schenectady Rd., Latham, NY 12110
Agency: New York State Police
By Appointment Only
Contact: Technical Sergeant Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258


CENTRAL NEW YORK

December 4                         Onondaga County
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Fairmount Fire Department (inside the bays), 4611 West Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13219
Agency: Onondaga County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Heather Poland at (315) 435-3007


WESTERN NEW YORK

December 4                         Erie County
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Orchard Park Central Fire Hall, 30 School Street, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Agency: Orchard Park Police Department
Contact: Officer Kristen Mazur at (716) 662-6444

December 7                         Niagara County
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Mount Saint Mary's Hospital
5300 Military Road, Lewiston, NY 14092
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo, Safe Kids of Western New York
By Appointment Only
Contact: Health Connections at (716) 447-6205

December 7                         Erie County
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Catholic Health Administration and Training Center
144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo, Safe Kids of Western New York
By Appointment Only
Contact: Health Connections at (716) 447-6205

December 11                                   Niagara County
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Niagara County Public Safety Training Facility, 5574 Niagara St. Ext., Lockport, NY 14094
Agency: Niagara County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Cathleen Davis at (716) 438-3464

If you cannot attend one of the listed free car seat check events, you can make an appointment with a child seat inspection site near you. The above schedule may be subject to changes. Find more information on upcoming car seat check events near you.  See ratings on all car seats.

In addition to car seat inspections, parents and caregivers can view a series of videos produced by NHSTA on proper installation of rear-facing and forward-facing car seats and booster seats. NHTSA also offers information on registering a child safety seat and finding the right car seat based a child’s age and size.

For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow DMV on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about GTSC, visit safeny.ny.gov, or follow GTSC on Facebook and Twitter.