Child Car Safety Seat Checks Offered Saturday

Parents wanting to make sure that their child car safety seats are correctly installed and used can receive a free inspection this Saturday.

Certified technicians will provide the assistance from 10 a.m. to noon at the Central Fire Station at 466 Kinoole St. in Hilo.

The checks will take up to 30 minutes, and “goodies” will be available for the children, the county said in a press release.

To minimize traffic problems, parents and caregivers are asked to enter the fire station through its entrance on Ponahawai Street.

The technicians will be able to assist up to six vehicles per hour. Appointments can also be arranged by calling Mel at 896-1336.

State law requires that all children under the age of four be secured in a car seat, and children between the ages of 4 and 7 be in a booster seat.

Older children must be secured by a seat belt, and it is recommended that they sit in the back seat of the vehicle.

Island residents should be aware there is an anonymous car seat hotline (961-2226) to report sightings of children not properly restrained in a vehicle.  Callers should be prepared to provide a license plate number, location of the car, and its make, model and color. A letter will be sent to the registered owner about the violation.

National statistics conclude that accidental injuries, especially those involving car crashes, pose the greatest threat to the lives of young children, and that using car safety seats and seat belts correctly is the best way to prevent this from happening.

National statistics show that from 1975 to 2008, an estimated 8,959 lives were saved by child restraints.