Lavonia Police Holding Free Child Car Seat Safety Checks Today

Lavonia Police are holding free child car seat safety checks today at the Lavonia Train Depot from 8:30a to 6p.

Officers certified in the proper way to install and use child car seats will check your child’s seat and make any recommendations or corrections.

Child car seats and booster seats provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13.

That’s why it’s so important to choose and use the right child car seat correctly every time your child is in the car.

You can make sure you have the right car seat for your child next Thursday when the Lavonia Police Department will hold a free car seat safety check.

According to Lavonia Deputy Police Chief Daniel Carson, it’s vital for parents to make sure they have the correct seat for their child’s age and weight and to make sure that it is in good working order.

Lavonia Police Lt. Wayne Mitchum is one of the three officers who have been trained in child safety seat installations and who will be conducting the inspections next week.

Mitchum said oftentimes, parents think they have the right child safety seat and that’s it installed correctly but that isn’t always the case.

Carson pointed out that child safety seats do have expiration dates and that if your child’s car seat was handed down or purchased used you might want to check to see if it has expired by looking at the owner’s manual or going online and looking up the brand and model of the car seat.

He recommended that if your child’s car seat is 10 years old or more, it likely needs to be replaced.

It’s also a good idea to go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website and check to see if the used car seat you’re using has been recalled or determined by the NHTSA to be unsafe at NHTSA Car Seat and Booster Seat Safety

Carson said you can register to have your car seat inspected ahead of time by going to the Lavonia Police Department Facebook page where you find a link to follow and sign up.

Again the free child safety seat inspection takes place next Thursday, November 16 from 8a to 6:30p at the Lavonia Train Depot.

If you need more information you can call the Police Department at 706-356-4848.

You can learn about car seat safety and how to pick the seat that’s right for your child at NHTSA Car Seat and Booster Seat Safety