Car Seat Checks in Chandler Provided by AAA Arizona
Shocking statistic: Three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly. As a safety advocate, AAA is using National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 13-19) to remind parents and caregivers about the importance of child passenger safety.
AAA Arizona is partnering with SafeKids Maricopa County to ensure children in Arizona are buckled in safely. Bilingual child passenger safety technicians will be out at the AAA Chandler branch, located at 4040 W. Ray Road, Suite 2, from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, to perform car seat checks and give away free* child passenger safety seats to families in need.
In honor of Child Passenger Safety Week, AAA reminds parents and caregivers about Arizona laws on child occupant protection:
· Car seats: Children up to at least age 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat. Car seats installed in the center of the back seat — whether front- or rear-facing — are the safest. Even after they turn 2, children should remain rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by the seat’s manufacturer. Once they outgrow the rear-facing seat, they’re ready to transition to a forward-facing seat with a harness.
When purchasing a car seat, make sure to mail in its registration card so you will be notified of any recalls. Never buy a used car seat, because the history often isn’t known and car seats expire after six years. You can find the manufacture date stamped on the seat. The correct use of a child safety seat reduces the risk of death by as much as 71 percent, according to NHTSA.
· Booster seats: Using a booster seat is 60 percent safer for kids than being restrained by a seat belt alone. When children in Arizona turn 5, they can start using a booster seat. Arizona’s child passenger safety law requires children to remain in a booster or child safety seat until age 8 or until the child is at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Keep children in booster seats until they’re big enough to fit properly in a seat belt. For a proper seat belt fit, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.
· Seat belts: According to the Centers for Disease Control, seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50 percent. All drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts in Arizona. Kids younger than 12 should ride in the back seat with seat belts on because it’s safest.
AAA Arizona has certified car seat technicians in Phoenix and Tucson to help install and inspect car seats to make sure they are being used properly. Visit https://www.az.aaa.com/events/aaa-seated-and-secure to learn more.
*Children must be present in order to receive free child passenger safety seat. Limit 2 child passenger safety seats per family. Supplies limited. Recipients must go through an inspection and installation check, to ensure the child passenger safety seat has been installed correctly.
