National Child Passenger Safety Week

Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety is offering free car seat checks

Monroe County, NY — According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 700 children killed in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles in 2023. Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for children, and a child’s best protection in a crash is to be buckled correctly in the right seat.

The Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety employs and works with certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians to help those who care for children determine the right seats for their children and demonstrate how to correctly install and use those seats. Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety announced today that technicians will be offering two free car seat safety checks later this week for National Child Passenger Safety Week. The first will be on Thursday, September 25, 2025 from 10:00AM to 1:00PM at Seymour Public Library in Brockport and the second on Saturday, September 27, 2025 from 11:30AM to 3:30PM at Delta Sonic in Webster. All parents and caregivers are encouraged to stop by and make sure they’re using car seats and

booster seats correctly. NHTSA research shows that car seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury by 71% for infants (under 1 year old) and by 54% for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars.

“Unfortunately, many parents are overconfident about their car seats,” said Richard V. Tantalo, Monroe County Director of Public Safety. “It is estimated that approximately 50% of all child passenger car seats are installed incorrectly in Monroe County. Please check the Monroe County Traffic Safety website for public safety organizations who offer car seat inspection sites on a variety of days and times where appointments can be made for a free inspection. A properly installed child car seat can be a lifesaving effort.”

According to NHTSA, more than a third (43%) of children 14 and younger who died while riding in passenger vehicles in 2023 were unrestrained. It’s never safe to ride unrestrained in a passenger vehicle — no matter how short the trip or how big the vehicle.

Whether it’s a rear-facing car seat, a forward-facing car seat installed with a tether, a booster seat, or a seat belt, a Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at ease by confirming which seat is correct for their children and showing them how to correctly install it in their vehicle. Children should stay in each seat until they outgrow those limits, and it’s important for all children under 13 to ride in the back seat.

If parents are not available for Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety’s seat check events next week, Child Passenger Safety Technicians throughout Monroe County are available by appointment. Visit https://www.monroecounty.gov/ts-childsafety for a list of installation check locations. You can also find FAQs and other resources on that page.