The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office will recognize National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 21-27) by conducting a child safety seat check-up event and distributing free booster seats this Saturday at Sheriff's Safety Town.

The Sheriff's Office, in association with the Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force and other agencies, will conduct the event from noon until 4 p.m. on September 27. Safety Town is located on Jewella Avenue at LA 3132 near the Burlington Coat Factory. 

Three out of four child safety seats are improperly installed in vehicles according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “It’s the responsibility of every parent and caregiver out there to make sure their children are safely restrained – every trip, every time,” said Sheriff Steve Prator.“We are urging everyone to get their child safety seats inspected.When it comes to the safety of a child, there is no room for mistakes.”

Nationally certified technicians will be on hand to provide free on-site child safety seat inspections and advise caregivers of proper installation procedures.

A limited number of FREE booster seats will be available for children who have outgrown their child seats but are too small for regular seat belts. Boosters typically fit children 4-10 years old who are over 40 pounds and under 4 feet 9 inches tall. To receive a free booster seat, the child must be present and there must be a working lap/should belt system in the child's seat of the vehicle.
For maximum child passenger safety, Prator said parents and caregivers should refer to the following 4 Steps for Kids guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:

1.    For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.

2.   When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).

3.    Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall).

4.     When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).