Safety Seat Checkup Day at Jackie Robinson Community Center

Nine out of 10 kids aren’t buckled up correctly. – Courtesy photo / Facebook, @SafetyBeltSafeUSA

Parents are invited to ensure their children’s safety by attending Safety Seat Checkup Day at Jackie Robinson Community Center (1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.) in Pasadena on Saturday, April 6. Free safety seat inspections will be provided from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the community center parking lot.

Teams of nationally certified child passenger safety technicians and other trained volunteers will inspect each safety seat at the event to make sure it fits the child properly, is correctly installed, and is in the safest possible location in the vehicle. Older children will be invited to try the 5-Step Test to find out if they fit properly in a vehicle safety belt without a booster. Most children need a booster for proper belt fit until they are at least age 10 to 12 years old.

Since Jan. 1, 2017, California law has required children less than 2 years of age to ride rear facing if they are not 40 inches in height or 40 pounds or more. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. also recommends that children ride in the back seat, which is 40% safer than the front, until they are old enough to learn to drive.

At checkups last year, organized by SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A., more than 90% of the seats checked were used incorrectly, putting children at risk. Even well-educated, safety-conscious parents often make mistakes that can result in serious injuries to their children. According to the California Highway Patrol, more than 80% of the small children killed in car crashes would have survived if they had been properly buckled up.

Sponsors and supporters for the April 6 event are California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota Motor North America, Pasadena Police Department, Jackie Robinson Community Center, and Pomona Police Department.

SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. is the national non-profit organization solely dedicated to child passenger safety and was founded in 1980 by 15 Los Angeles-area safety advocates. The organization is nationally recognized for technical expertise and program excellence. For more information, go to carseat.org or call the Safe Ride Helpline: (310) 318-5111 or (800) 745-SAFE. For Spanish: (800) 747-SANO.