You know that your seat belt works correctly. It’s simple—you just need to make sure the lock clicks when you put it on. And you know that you would never drive without wearing your seat belt. But how sure are you that your child’s car seat is installed correctly?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly. That’s a huge margin for error. Why take a risk on your child’s safety when a trained professional can install the car seat for you?
That’s where EAC Network’s Safe Start program comes in. Safe Start promotes child passenger safety by performing car seat inspections and making sure parents are knowledgeable about their car seats. The Safe Start team can be contacted any time at (631) 648-7100 x210 to schedule a safety inspection for your car seat, and to make sure your child is safe when traveling in your car.
Safe Start also hosts car seat check up events and even gives away free car seats to eligible families through its mission is to ensure that all child passengers reach their destinations safely.
On May 10th EAC Network’s Safe Start held a Car Seat Inspection Event in conjunction with the Suffolk County Traffic & Parking Violation Agency and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. Officials from the Suffolk County Traffic & Parking Violation Agency worked side by side with trained EAC Network employees to install car seats, inspect seats for safety, and answer questions in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Parents were also instructed on how to reinstall their car seats, should they need to switch cars.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone arrived early on and greeted EAC Network staff and parents alike. Executive Bellone has worked closely with EAC Network’s Suffolk County-based programs, like our Child Advocacy Center and Safe Harbour program. He is an advocate for the work that we do in the community and has long been a friend of EAC Network. Executive Bellone will even be going Over the Edge for EAC Network—come watch him rappel 170 feet down a building on July 1st!
Check out photos from the Car Seat Inspection Event below!
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Sarah Muller is the Development & Marketing Assistant for EAC Network. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. in English.
