4 of 30 child seats passed muster in Peru safety check: Is the seat in your car safe?

Is the child seat in your car properly installed? Four in 30 passed safety checks performed Saturday by Peru police.

Every September, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration partners with local communities to observe Child Passenger Safety Week, which includes National Seat Check Saturday.

“This is why we encourage parents or guardians to come to the police department and get their car seat checked.”

—  Blake Frund, Peru Police Department

Officer Blake Frund said technicians inspected 30 car seats and 13% were installed and used correctly.

“One car seat expired in 2016, and the parent did not know that car seats expire,” Frund said. “This is why we encourage parents or guardians to come to the police department and get their car seat checked.”

The free event was part of Child Passenger Safety Week, which ran from Sept. 15-21. NHTSA wants parents and caregivers to know that traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for children. In 2022, there were 1,129 children killed in crashes — an average of three per day.

“One of the simplest ways to protect your child passengers is to make sure they’re in the right seats and that the seats are installed correctly,” Frund said.

Parents at the event were also encouraged to register their car seats with the manufacturers to be notified of recalls. NHTSA offers the SaferCar app to make getting recall notifications easier.

NHTSA.gov has free resources to help caregivers choose the right types of car seats (rear-facing car seat, forward-facing car seat with a tether, or booster seat) or seat belt for their children’s ages and sizes. Not only are children often moved out of boosters too soon, but also they are often moved to the front seat too soon, increasing their risk of injury in a crash. The safest place for all kids younger than 13 is in the back seat.

Parents don’t have to wait for the next National Seat Check Saturday to make sure their car seats are installed properly. Peru Police Department has car seat technicians at the police department 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. It’s not just for new parents – every parent and caregiver should make sure their children are in the right seat, Frund said.

For more information on NHTSA’s best-practice car seat recommendations and other child car seat safety tips, visit www.nhtsa.gov/carseats.