Department of Motor Vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday July 26, 2018

Contacts:
Lisa Koumjian
[email protected]

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

Free Inspections Offered in Albany, Broome, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Livingston, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Rensselaer, Ulster, and Wayne 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 August in Albany, Broome, Clinton, Cortland, Erie, Livingston, Montgomery, Niagara, Rensselaer, Ulster, and Wayne 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.

“Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13, which is why these inspections and the assistance provided to parents and caregivers are so important,” said Acting GTSC Chair and DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan. “Using a child safety seat or booster seat that is appropriate for your child’s age and size can help prevent injuries and fatalities caused by car crashes.”

This campaign aims to ensure all parents and caregivers are properly trained to secure their children in a car safety restraint system (which can be rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seats, or seat belts) appropriate for the child’s age and size, and to ensure the safety restraints 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. 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 cars. In 2012, a survey by the NHTSA 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.

The following child safety seat checks are scheduled across the state in August:

CAPITAL REGION

August 1              Child Safety Seat Check - Albany County
3:30 p.m - 6:30 p.m.
Voorheesville Farmer's Market at the United Methodist Church of Voorheesville
68 Maple Avenue, Voorheesville, NY 12186
Agency: Albany County DPW Traffic Safety Education / Capital Region Safe Kids
Contact: Bill Van Alstyne at (518) 765-2565

August 11              Child Safety Seat Check - Rensselaer County
10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Hoosick Falls Fire Department, 190 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY 12090
Agency: New York State Police / Rensselaer County Law Enforcement Association
Contact: Trooper Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258 or Eric Dahl at (518) 266-1970

CENTRAL NEW YORK

August 1              Child Safety Seat Check - Cortland County
9:00 a.m - 11:30 a.m.
Marathon WIC Clinic, Marathon Presbyterian Church, Main Street, Marathon, NY 13803
Agency: Cortland County Health Department
Appointment Required
Contact: ReBecca Smith at (607) 758-5509

August 8              Child Safety Seat Check - Cortland County
9:00 a.m - 11:30 a.m.
Cincinnatus WIC Clinic, Cortland-Chenango Rural Services, Lower Cincinnatus Road, Cincinnatus, NY 13040
Agency: Cortland County Health Department
Appointment Required
Contact: ReBecca Smith at (607) 758-5509

FINGER LAKES

August 7              Child Safety Seat Check - Wayne County
3:30 p.m - 6:30 p.m.
Lyons Central Bus Garage, 70 Clyde Road, Lyons, NY 15589
Agency: Wayne County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Heather Laws at (315) 521-4750

August 14              Child Safety Seat Check - Monroe County
3:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
Gates Volunteer Ambulance, 1600 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY 14624
Agency: Gates Volunteer Ambulance
Contact: Laurie Schwenzer at (585) 247-5519

August 15              Child Safety Seat Check - Wayne County
11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.
Wayne County Sheriff, 300 West Jackson Street, Palmyra, NY 14522
Agency: Wayne County Sheriff
Contact: Deputy Heather Laws at (315) 946-5786

August 18              Child Safety Seat Check - Livingston County
10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Save-A-Lot, 15 East State Street, Mount Morris, NY 14510
Agency: Cornell Cooperative Extension
Contact: Katelyn Sanders at (585) 991-5420

MID-HUDSON

August 4              Child Safety Seat Check - Ulster County
11:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.
Woodstock Fire Department, 226 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY 12498
Agency: Ulster County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Deb Prusack at (845) 334-5748

August 11              Child Safety Seat Check - Ulster County
10:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Zena Fire Department, 443 Zena Road, Woodstock, NY 12498
Agency: Ulster County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Deputy Deb Prusack at (845) 334-5748

MOHAWK VALLEY

August 2              Child Safety Seat Check - Montgomery County
10:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m.
Mohawk Volunteer Fire Department, 2553 State Highway 30A, Fonda, NY 12068
Agency: Montgomery County Public Health
Contact: Suzanne Stegich at (518) 853-3531

NORTH COUNTRY

August 18              Child Safety Seat Check - Clinton County
10:00 a.m - 1:30 p.m.
Plattsburgh Farmer's Market, Durkee Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Agency: Clinton County Sheriff's Office
Contact: Anika Craig at (518) 565-4397

SOUTHERN TIER

August 9              Child Safety Seat Check - Broome County
4:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
SUNY Broome, near Visions Branch, Five South College Avenue, Binghamton, NY 13905
Agency: Broome County Health Department
Contact: Christine Muss at (607) 778-2807

WESTERN NEW YORK

August 4              Child Safety Seat Check - Niagara County
9:30 a.m - 11:30 a.m.
Mt. St. Mary's Hospital, 5300 Military Road, Lewiston, NY 14092
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo
Appointment Required
Contact: Health Connections at (716) 706-2112

August 4              Child Safety Seat Check - Erie County
2:30 p.m - 5:30 p.m.
Catholic Health Administration and Training Center, 144 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
Agency: Catholic Health of Buffalo
Appointment Required
Contact: Health Connections at (716) 706-2112

August 8              Child Safety Seat Check - Niagara County
4:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m.
Niagara County Public Safety Training Facility, 5574 Niagara Street Extension, Lockport, NY 14095
Agency: Niagara County Sheriff's Office of Traffic Safety
Appointment Required
Contact: Cathleen Davis at (716) 438-3464

 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. The above schedule may be subject to changes. Find more information on upcoming child safety seat checks 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. The videos, which are also available on NHTSA’s website, instruct parents and caregivers how to install rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, and booster seats. 

For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow the DMV conversation online at Facebook and Twitter.

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