If you have a “baby on board,” take a few minutes to check on the installation of your child safety seat. Saturday is National Seat Check Saturday, and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is setting up nine free safety seat inspection stations around the state from 9 am to noon. Bridget Gardner, the state director for the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force, says the vast majority of parents fail to properly install child safety seats.
“Unfortunately, there is greater than about 74% that even if they try to get it right, sometimes don’t get it right,” Gardner said.
Gardner says an improperly installed seat or an improperly buckled child is as dangerous as a lack of a child safety seat altogether.
“For example, if the seat is in the vehicle correctly, but the child is not adjusted into the harness correctly, then that makes room for injury,” Gardner explained.
There are many different types of child safety seats based on the child’s height and weight; and Gardner says if you show up to one of these stations and you’re found to have an improper seat, you might be able to obtain a proper one right then and there.
“Some of our locations will have seats on hand. It did require a pre-registration process, but it’s worth going to, to see if they would have any extra,” Gardner said.
The seat station locations are as follows:
* St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, 1801 Airline Hwy., Laplace LA 70068
* Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, 5656 Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808
* Mockler Beverage, 3860 Broad St., Lake Charles, LA 70615
* Monroe Public Safety Center, 1810 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Monroe, LA 71202
* Ochsner LSU Health, St. Mary’s Medical Center, 1 St. Mary Place, Shreveport, LA 71101
* Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, 310 N. Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301
* Rapides Regional Medical Center, Medical Terrace, 211 Fourth Street, Alexandria, LA 71301
* Broussard Walmart, 123 Saint Nazaire, Broussard, LA 70518
* Southeastern University, Driving Range Parking Log, 800 West University Ave., Hammond, LA 70518
If they don’t have any extras, they can point you in the right direction on what specifically to buy.
