How-To-SAFETY is joining Child Passenger Safety Week 2014 and "National Seat Check Saturday" with car seat inspection and installation event in Staten Island. Certified technicians will be teaching caregivers how to choose the right car seats for their children and how to install and use them correctly.

How-To-SAFETY announces that car seat inspections and education will be available to the community on Saturday, September 20 in Staten Island, NY. The free event is part of “National Seat Check Saturday” and will include car seat inspections by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians. Technicians will be on-hand to teach parents and caregivers how to choose the right car seats for their children and how to install and use them correctly.

Car seats, booster seats, and seat belts are often used incorrectly. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading killer of children ages 1 to 13 and one child under age 13 is involved in a crash every 34 seconds. No parent wants to ever get it wrong when it comes to their children’s safety. Using age- and size-appropriate child restraints correctly is the best way to reduce preventable deaths. How-To-SAFETY is hosting this consumer education event during National Seat Check Saturday, so parents can come out and know for sure that their kids are as safe as possible when riding in a car.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Seat Check Saturday is part of Child Passenger Safety Week, September 14-20. The week is dedicated to teaching parents and caregivers about the importance of correct installation and use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.  Parents will also be reminded of the importance of registering car seats with the manufacturer so they can be notified in the event of a recall.

NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he/she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. After outgrowing the car seats, children should be placed in booster seats until they’re big enough to fit seat belts properly without help from a booster seat. The safest place for all kids under 13 is in the back seat of the car.

How-To-SAFETY’s National Seat Check Saturday is being held at their Staten Island South Shore location, by appointment only.  All parents and caregivers can contact How-To-SAFETY for information by emailing at Contact@CarSeatTechnician.com or registering at www.CarSeatTechnician.com/Contact-Us.

How-To-SAFETY is a Staten Island based, health and safety education service, specializing in Child Passenger Safety, offering car seat inspection, installation, and lessons at one of 2 locations, or at your location throughout New York City and parts of New Jersey.  For more details please visit www.CarSeatTechnician.com

For more information on child car safety, as well as how to find other car seat check events, go to safercar.gov/parents.

How to Prepare for the Free Car Seat Check Event

How to prepare before your appointment:

• Know the following applicable information - before your car seat check-up.
• For every child that rides (or expected to ride) in the vehicle:
• Age, Height, Weight, Any special needs or concerns
• Torso height, if child will not be present during the seat check. Please sit your child into the car seat and note where the tops of the child's shoulders are relative to the back of the seat (to know between which harness slots are the shoulders).  
• If possible, please read the car seat manual and attempt to install the car seat before your appointment. 

What to bring to your appointment: 

• Your child's car seat. 
• Your child, if possible. It's best to have your child attend the car seat check to make sure the seat fits the child properly. If you will not be bringing your child with you, please make sure to check the child's accurate torso height as described above. 
• The installation process requires your attention, so having another adult with you to help watch your child can be very helpful. 
• Bring both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner’s manual to the appointment, if available. 

What to expect during your appointment: 

• Please allow approximately 20 minutes to 1 hour for each seat installation. 
• You will need to complete a standard form with your contact information. 
• Expect instruction and demonstration on how to correctly install your car seat(s). We don't just install it for you - you will learn how to replicate a proper installation. 
• We will ensure you are using the correct seat based on child’s age, weight and height. State laws, Best Practices and manufacturer guidelines will be addressed. Find out more about car seat basics and using the right seat for your child. 
• Check the car seat for recalls. 
• Talk about next steps in car seat safety, and safety in and around cars.
• Sometimes, car seats and vehicles are not compatible for proper car seat installation in the desired, or any vehicle seating positions. In that event, it is recommended to replace the car seat with a more compatible one, and reschedule the car seat check.