Car Seat Safety Class Offered Free to Community

Are your kids buckled up the right way?

Car seats are an essential part of helping to keep children safe while on the road—but they can be confusing to install and use correctly. They're not just necessary for safety, however, but required by state law until at child is 6 years old or weighs 60 pounds.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants younger than 1 year old, and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars.

The NHTSA estimates 8,959 lives were saved by the use of child restraints from 1975 to 2008.

But which kind of car seat is the best for your child? And how do you know if it's installed correctly? Some of the top mistakes made in car seat use include the seat too loose in the car, harness straps too loose on the child, children  turned to the forward-facing position position too soon, harness straps placed through the wrong slots, and using a car seat that has been recalled, according to the Pacific Safety Council.

A free car seat safety class presented by the Pacific Safety Council at Golden Avenue School will answer parents' questions and demonstrate the importance of using car seat—every trip, every time.

The class is open to all families in the community. Registration is required prior to the event.

To RSVP, call Victoria Vega at 619-825-5764.