Child Passenger Safety Week is underway from September 17 to 23.
We covered an event on Tuesday in Snohomish County where families got their car seats checked for free. Snohomish Fire is taking appointments from Tuesday to Friday. To schedule one, go here.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says nearly half of child car seats are used incorrectly. This could potentially lead to life-altering injuries or even death in a crash.
The administration says 710 children, under 13 years old, were killed in passenger vehicles in 2021 and more than 100,000 were injured. More than a third of the children who died weren’t restrained.
The Olympia Police Department offers free car seat inspections by appointment. You can call Margo Morales at 360-753-8239 to schedule one.
OPD says for harness straps, the rear-facing harness straps should be slightly below the shoulder. Forward-facing straps should be slightly above the shoulder. It also says children age four and older need to ride in a booster seat until they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
Before moving from a booster seat to a seatbelt, there are five steps to follow, says OPD:
1. Their back should be against the car’s seat, with no slouching.
2. Their knees should bend at the edge of the seat.
3. The lap belt should be low across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt across the mid-shoulder.
4. Their feet should rest on the floor.
5. They should remain in that position the entire trip.
“This is a great time to make sure your smallest passenger’s seats are adjusted correctly and keeping up with their growth spurts,” said the OPD.