(Emmetsburg)– Palo Alto County Community Health will hold a free child car seat check-up Saturday (April 28th) from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon at Harrison Park in Emmetsburg. Certified child safety seat technicians will be on hand to check car seats for correct installation and usage and provide education to parents and caregivers.
Car safety seat for children is a national issue, emphasizing safety for the millions of children who travel in vehicles each day. According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and the Iowa Safe Kids Coalition, 97 percent of all car seats in Iowa are improperly installed.
Officials say the most common mistake is at that parents often believe that once their children outgrow their forward-facing safety seats, that an adult belt is good enough. They say adult belts can be dangerous if the child is too small. Because of that, they recommend child safety seats that include boosters.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. Officials say car seats and safety belts, when used correctly, reduce death by as much as 71 percent.
