The Lombard Police Department will be offering free car seat checks and education to parents and caregivers on Saturday, Sept. 18, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., at the Lombard Police Station, 235 E. Wilson Ave. Lombard will also be recognizing Child Passenger Safety Week, September 19 – 25 by sharing tips on www.villageoflombard.org and the Village’s social media pages throughout the week.
“We realize that some children may complain about their seat belts, or want to lay down on long car rides, however unbuckling a child in a car is extremely dangerous and greatly increases their risk of severe injury or death, should a crash occur,” said Lombard Police Sgt. Andy Stern. “There are so many ways that a child can get hurt, but this doesn’t have to be one. It’s a simple way to keep our kids safe, which is what we all want: Buckle up, every trip – every time.”
At the car seat check event, officers can help determine if your child is in the right seat for their age and size and will also explain the importance of registering car seats with their manufacturers so parents and caregivers can be notified if there is a recall.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children, and the latest research from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused.
Sgt. Stern added that using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing them correctly are the best ways to reduce these deaths. “More than one-third of children 12 and younger who died in crashes in 2016 while riding in cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs were unbuckled. Many of those kids could have survived if they had been buckled up.”