Proper car seat use and installation can make a life-saving difference

The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) encourages parents and caregivers to take the time during Child Passenger Safety Week to ensure their child is correctly secured in an appropriate car seat or booster seat.

The annual safety week, which runs this year from September 15-21, ends with a national car seat education event known as National Car Seat Check Saturday. Throughout the week, state organizations will host child passenger safety events. During these events, certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will check car seats, let caregivers know if their children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes, and show them how to install the right seats correctly.

"A properly installed car seat is a child's best defense against injury in a crash,” said ICJI’s Executive Director Devon McDonald.

Statistics show that nearly one out of every five children aged four or younger who died in crashes from 2018 to 2022 were unrestrained. ICJI wants caregivers to know that it’s never safe to allow a child to ride in a passenger vehicle unrestrained, no matter how short the trip or how big the vehicle is.

When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental stage. No matter the stage, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by discussing correct car seat selection and showing them how to install that seat correctly in their vehicle.

Safety checks are available year-round and typically take 20-30 minutes. They can be conducted at one of Indiana’s many fitting stations, which can be found by visiting on.in.gov/SafeKids. The website shows the Women’s Care Center in Plymouth, Argos Fire Department, and Bremen Hospital as locations in Marshall County with certified technicians to assist parents and caregivers with proper installation and fit of child safety seats.