York County center to check car seats during Child Passenger Safety Week

National Child Passenger Safety Week focuses on the correct use of car safety seats for children.

The Center for Traffic Safety is participating in the campaign and will hold an event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at its 2401 Pleasant Valley Road location in Springettsbury Township.

“We’ll be checking car seats, making sure they are installed properly in the vehicle and then making sure that the children are harnessed properly within the seat,” traffic safety specialist Missy Sweitzer said Tuesday.

“We will also be checking to see if it is an appropriate seat for the children’s age, height and weight.”

The Center for Traffic Safety also represents Adams, Lancaster and Lebanon counties, Sweitzer said. 

“Buckle Up — Every Age, Every Stage” is this year’s theme to highlight the need for children and adults to buckle up using the right car seat, booster seat or seat belt every time they travel, according to a news release.

Data shows that 46% of car seats are misused. On average, there are about 351 reportable crashes each day on Pennsylvania highways. Using the correct car seat reduces the chance of fatal injury for infants by 71% and toddlers by 54%, the release said. 

The week kicked off Sunday and runs through Saturday.

— Ron Musselman can be reached at rmusselman@yorkdispatch.com or via Twitter at @ronmusselman8.