The Hartsville Fire Department will offer free child car seat safety checks for local residents of young children Friday, Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parking lot of Lawton Park, 716 Prestwood Drive.The service will include an inspection of any car seat’s functionality, performed by trained personnel from the Hartsville Fire Department and Hartsville Police Department. Participants must bring their own car seats, as none will be given away. A partnership with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and Safe Kids, a nonprofit advocacy group which works with local organizations to prevent child injuries, has made the event possible.
Although car seats provide substantial safety for child passengers and should be used as long as the child fits within height and weight specifications, according to Safe Kids, they can be used improperly. A 2012 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration identified common mistakes made by parents and caregivers when installing and using car seats and booster seats, including using the wrong harness slot, installing the seat too loosely or incorrectly placing a harness chest clip or seat belt on a child. The study also found that 20 percent of drivers of small children did not read instructions provided for child safety restraints.
“The value of car seats is simple: they save lives,” Hartsville Fire Chief Jeff Burr said. “They must be used properly to provide this safety, however. Parents and caregivers who check in with our free service will be able to know that they are using their seats in the safest way possible.”
