Carseat Safety Check Scheduled for July 1

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

Carseat3.pr 99-239

Contact: George Rose, 240-777-3678
Or Sue Rogan, 240-777-3722

For Release: June 25, 1999

Carseat Safety Check
Scheduled for July 1

Montgomery County, NBC-4 and the Fitzgerald Automotive organization are sponsoring a free car seat check to help parents prepare for the Fourth of July holiday and summer vacation. More than 50 car seat inspectors will be available to check car seats for proper use and installation and provide safety information to area parents.

The car seat check will be conducted on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fitzgerald Buick, located at 5501 Nicholson Lane, Rockville, Maryland. Inspections will be conducted on a first-come, first served basis. No appointment is necessary.

The National Safe Kids Campaign reports that car seats, when correctly installed and used, are extremely effective in saving children's lives in automobile crashes, reducing the r4isk of death by as much as 71 percent. National studies, however, have found that more than 80 percent of car seats are installed or used incorrectly. Just last week, a 17-month-old boy was killed in Fairfax County when his child safety seat failed to properly restrain him.

"We are partnering with NBC-4 and Jack Fitzgerald to provide this pre-holiday safety check, since many families will be starting their summer vacation this weekend," said Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. "We want parents to be confident that their child safety seat is properly used and installed so that their trip will be a safe and happy one."

The Montgomery County car seat safety program has already prevented four cases of death or serious injury to children whose parents came to one of the County's checks, according to George Rose, Chief of the County's Division of Consumer Affairs. "Just last month, we heard from a parent who had attended a car seat check in the morning, had his car seat correctly installed, and was involved in a collision later the same day. The parent credits our car seat check with keeping his daughter safe from injury."

TV-4 consumer reporter Elizabeth Crenshaw will be broadcasting live from the event and will be talking to parents about child safety issues. Refreshments will be provided for both parents and kids, along with a free coloring book and crayons for each child.

Car seat checks are provided by Safe Kids organizations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. For more information, please call the numbers listed below:

Montgomery County Car Seat Hotline - 240-777-3660

Fairfax County Car Seat Hotline - 703-280-0559

Prince George's County Car Seat Hotline - 301-864-7233

DC Safe Kids Car Seat Hotline - 202-662-0600

Fitzgerald Auto Mall Car Seat Hotline - 301-548-4847

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