The Safe Kids N.C. team is partnering with law enforcement agencies and first responders to ensure children are secured in a properly installed child safety seat when riding in a vehicle to save lives.
Safe Kids N.C. will be holding a Child Passenger Safety Clinic on Thursday, August 20 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Target Parking lot in Apex, N.C. Families that have been affected by Covid-19 and cannot afford a child seat can come to the clinic with their child to receive a free car seat and have it installed by a National Certified Child Safety Seat Technician. Child safety seats are limited to 50 seats for this event.
“Safety seats save lives. It’s that simple,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who also serves as Safe Kids N.C. Chair. “While many families are dealing with the burdens of Covid-19, our goal is to teach as many parents, grandparents, and caregivers as possible the correct way to install a child passenger safety seat and secure children in a vehicle.”
According to Safe Kids N.C., motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among children ages 1 to 19. Of those children ages 12 and under who died in vehicle crashes in 2017, nearly 40% were not restrained.
Also, children ages 2 to 5 who use safety belts prematurely are four times more likely to suffer a serious injury if in an accident.
At Thursday’s event, child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats free of charge to make sure children are in an age appropriate seats that are properly installed.
Below are the details for the Child Passenger Safety Event:
WHO: Safe Kids N.C., Apex Fire Department
WHAT: Child Passenger Safety Clinic
WHERE: Target parking lot, 1201 Beaver Creek Commons Dr, Apex, NC 27502
WHEN: Thursday, August 20 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHY: To prevent injuries and deaths to children because they were not properly buckled up.
There are more than 230 permanent checking stations located at fire stations and other sites in North Carolina that can provide these services year-round. Stations can be found at www.buckleupnc.org.