Department of Motor Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 30, 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 September

Free Inspections Available in Albany, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Fulton, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster, Wayne, 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 September in Albany, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Fulton, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster, Wayne 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.

“Offering parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn how to safely and properly install their child’s car seat is a priority in New York State,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “By utilizing this resource, we allow those individuals the ability to ensure their child’s safety as they travel 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 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 September:

September 9        Child Safety Seat Check - Rensselaer County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Castleton Volunteer Ambulance, 1700 Brookview Road, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY 12033
Agency: New York State Police
Contact: Trooper Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258 or Eric Dahl at (518) 266-1970

September 9        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

September 9        Child Safety Seat Check – Suffolk County

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Hagerman Fire Department, 510 Oakdale Avenue, East Patchogue, NY 11772
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

September 13      Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County

3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Mt. St. Mary's Hospital
5300 Military Road, Lewiston, NY 14092
Agency: Catholic Health and SafeKids WNY
Registration Required
Contact: For Registration: (716) 447-6205

September 14      Child Safety Seat Check – Fulton County

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Fulton County Highway & Facilities Garage, Fulton County Complex, 2712 State Highway 29, Johnstown, NY 12095
Agency: Fulton County Public Health
Contact: Alyssa Craig at (518) 736-5719

September 16      Child Safety Seat Check – Orange County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Town of Chester DPW, 77 Laroe Road, Chester, NY 10918
Agency: Town of Chester Police
Contact: Simone Klopf at (845) 469-7000, ext. 1

September 16      Child Safety Seat Check – Niagara County

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Town of Niagara Veteran's Memorial Park, 7000 Lockport Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Agency: Niagara County Sheriff's Office of Traffic Safety
Contact: Lt. Robert Richards at (716) 438-3310

September 16      Child Safety Seat Check – Ulster County

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Ellenville Community Hospital, 10 Healthy Way, Ellenville, NY 12428
Agency: Ulster County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Deb Prusack at (845) 338-3640

September 17      Child Safety Seat Check – Suffolk County

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. — Rain or Shine
The Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank, 200 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11981
Agency: Suffolk County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Allison Zacchino at (631) 852-3273

September 17      Child Safety Seat Check – Tioga County

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Iron Kettle Farm, 707 Owego Road, Candor, NY 13743
Agency: Tioga County Public Health
Contact: Kylie Gates at (607) 687-8612

September 17      Child Safety Seat Check – Ulster County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
ShopRite Plaza, 258 Main Street, New Paltz, NY 12561
Agency: Ulster County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Deb Prusack at (845) 338-3640

September 17      Child Safety Seat Check – Nassau County

10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Geico, 750 Woodbury Road, Woodbury, NY 11797
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

September 21      Child Safety Seat Check – Onondaga County

4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Price Chopper Market, 2515 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13224
Agency: Syracuse Police Department
Contact: Officer Mike Goudy at (315) 442-5130

September 22      Child Safety Seat Check – Sullivan County

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Loch Sheldrake Fire House, NY 52, Loch Sheldrake, NY 12747
Agency: Sullivan County Public Health
Contact: Wendy Salonich at (845) 292-5910 ext. 2220

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Albany County

11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Crossgates Mall Overflow Lot near Western Avenue
1 Crossgates Mall Road, Guilderland, NY 12203
Agency: Albany County DPW Traffic Safety Education and Capital Region SafeKids
Contact: Bill Van Alstyne at (518) 765-2565

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Clinton County

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Morrisonville EMS, 21 Banker Road, Morrisonville, NY 12962
Agency: Clinton County Sheriff's Office
Contact: William Bush at (518) 565-4397

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Cortland County

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Family Health Network, 403 West Road, Cortland, NY 13045
Agency: Cortland County Health Department
Contact: ReBecca Smith at (607) 758-5509

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Erie County

3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Catholic Health of Buffalo
144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo
Contact: Health Connections: (716) 447-6205

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Livingston County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Noyes Hospital, 111 Clara Barton Street, Dansville, NY 14437
Agency: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County
Contact: Katelyn Sanders at (585) 991-5420

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Madison County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
NYSP Troop D Headquarters, 261 Genesee Street, Oneida, NY 13421
Agency: New York State Police
Contact: Trooper Paul Carner at (315) 366-6035

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Monroe County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Delta Sonic Car Wash, 2970 West Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY 14623
Agency: Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety & Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Jean Triest at (585) 753-3018

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Nassau County

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Geico, 750 Woodbury Road, Woodbury, NY 11797
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Orange County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Goshen Village Hall, 276 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924
Agency: Village of Goshen Police Department
Contact: Sgt. Ryan Rich at (845) 294-7988

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Oswego County

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Lowe's Home Improvement, 445 State Route 104, Oswego, NY 13126
Agency: Oswego County Traffic Safety Board
Contact: Jessica McGiff at (315) 343-2344 ext. 22

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Wayne County

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Newark Fire Department, 150 East Miller Street, Newark, NY 14513
Agency: Wayne County Public Health & Wayne County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Lisa O'Dell at (315) 946-5749

September 23      Child Safety Seat Check – Westchester County

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Rye Brook Fire Department, 940 King Street, Rye Brook, NY 10573
Agency: Rye Brook Police Department
Contact: Sgt. L. Greco at (914) 937-1020

September 26      Child Safety Seat Check – Nassau County

10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Geico, 750 Woodbury Road, Woodbury, NY 11797
Agency: EAC, Inc.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at (631) 648-7100 ext. 219

September 26      Child Safety Seat Check – Tioga County

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Visions Federal Credit Union, 95 Orchard Street, Spencer, NY 14883
Agency: Tioga County Public Health
Contact: Kylie Gates at (607) 687-8612

September 29      Child Safety Seat Check – St. Lawrence County

10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Massena Fire Department, 34 Andrews Street, Massena, NY 13662
Agency: St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program
Contact: Mary Davison at (315) 379-2306 

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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