Northern New Jersey Safe Kids and State Farm® Team Up for National Child Passenger Safety Week
Car seat checkups across North Jersey address a leading cause of death for children
Parents and caregivers recently joined safety experts throughout North Jersey for car seat checkup events hosted by Northern New Jersey Safe Kids and State Farm. Northern New Jersey Safe Kids/Safe Communities worked directly with families to educate them on the proper installation and use of their car seats. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians inspected and installed the seats. State Farm agent also helped with checking in participants.
Motor vehicles crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1-12 in the U.S. In 2021, one in three children under age 13 who died in a crash were unrestrained. Unfortunately, studies examining misuse among users of child car seats estimate that more than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly. While child passenger safety is always important, Child Passenger Safety Week is nationally observed September 15-21 this year.
Throughout Child Passenger Safety Week, Northern New Jersey Safe Kids and State Farm hosted car seat checkups in Pompton Lakes, Morristown, Morris Plains, Chester, and Fairfield. During those events, 70 car seats were inspected, and 6 new car seats were provided to parents and caregivers, free of charge.
“Child Passenger Safety Week brings awareness to this very important issue. This week reminds parents and caregivers to pause and look at their car seats. A car seat can reduce injury if it is installed correctly, fits the child correctly and is used correctly for each ride”, notes KJ Feury RN, APNc CCRN the Injury Prevention Coordinated at Morristown Medical Center.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have with State Farm as we work to be sure all children are properly restrained in a car”, says Feury.
The events during Child Passenger Safety Week are just some of many such events being hosted by Northern New Jersey Safe Kids and State Farm throughout 2024. Other events have already been hosted in Chester and Dover, with more being planned. Since January 2024, Northern NJ Safe Kids / Safe Communities have inspected 1191 car seats and given 54 car seats to families in need and provided them with the education to use the seats correctly.
For more information where you can go to get your car seat inspected and learn how to use it properly click on the link below or go to www.preventionworks-nj.org .