COLORADO SPRINGS — Safe Kids Colorado Springs is joining organizations across the country this weekend on National Seat Check Day to offer free cart seat checks and give parents the chance to ensure their children are being transported safely.
Safe Kids says three out of four car seats are not installed properly, and hopes the seat checks will improve that number.
Safety technicians will be in the parking lot at Rocky Mountain Vibes Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to check seat installation, answer questions, and provide resources for child passenger safety.
Appointments for Saturday's seat check event are not required, but can be made by emailing safekidscoloradosprings@gmail.com.
Safety experts say parents often have questions about the best time to transition from booster seats to adult seat belts, and then to sitting in the front seat.
Safe Kids says once a child can stay calm in a booster seat for the entire ride, with the seat belt properly fastened, parents can consider moving them to an adult seat belt. Depending on height and weight, this is often between ages 8 and 12. Experts do not recommend moving children to the front seat before age 13 because air bags are not tested on growing children and can be harmful to kids if they deploy.
Safe Kids offers tips including how to choose the right seat and when to change that seat on its website.
Other safet information is available from the Colorado Department of Transportation [codot.gov], Safe Kids Worldwide [safekids.org] and Children’s Colorado [childrenscolorado.org] websites.
