Police in Huntington Beach will mark Child Passenger Safety Week with a car seat check-up event on Saturday by issuing a reminder to motorists that seat belts and child seats save lives.
The car seat check-up event at HBPD headquarters, at 2000 Main St., will give parents, caregivers and anyone else who transports children in their vehicle instructions on the correct use of car seats, booster seats and properly fitted seat belts.
Child Passenger Safety Week takes place from Sunday through the following Saturday.
The goal of the annual campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of car seat safety and proper installation.
“Every child deserves to travel safely,” said HBPD Sergeant Gerrit DeJong. “During Child Passenger Safety Week, we urge all parents and caregivers to know for sure that their children are in the right seats and that those seats are installed correctly. Keeping a child in the right seat for their age and size can make all the difference in a crash.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 46% of car seats are misused, while properly installed car seats reduce fatal-injury crashes by 71% for infants under 1, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 through 4.
California requires all children under 2 to ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child is 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. And all children under 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat. At 4 feet, 9 inches tall, children 8 and up may still be secured in a booster seat but, at minimum, must be secured by a safety belt.
Registration is required to attend Saturday’s event. For more information, contact Sgt. DeJong at 714-960-2219 or gdejong@hbpd.org.