The IU School of Medicine and Safe Kids Indiana are hosting a car seat-inspection event May 14 at Ivy Tech’s Indianapolis campus.
Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to inspect car seats and reinstall them, if needed.
Free car seats are available to families who need them, as supplies last. To receive a car seat, you must bring your child and your car to the event.
The checks are part of a two-day conference on child safety hosted by the medical school’s Automotive Safety Program and Safe Kids Indiana. Last year, technicians inspected 141 car seats and gave 123 free seats to families.
Car seat safety tips
If you can’t attend the event but want to make sure your child’s car seat is installed properly, here are some tips from experts:
- Children under the age of 1 should always have a rear-facing car seat.
- Kids should stay in rear-facing car seats until they surpass the height or weight limit, at which point they should move to a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.
- Children aged 4 to 7 should use forward-facing car seats until they outgrow the height and weight limits, per instructions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Then, kids should move to a booster seat.
- Keep kids aged 8 to 12 in booster seats until they can fit in seat belts without gaps or extra space.
- Make sure all car passengers wear their seat belt low on hips and shoulder belt across the chest. Do not rest the shoulder belt on your neck or place it under the arm or behind your back.
You can also watch step-by-step instruction videos on how to install a car seat from Buckle Up for Life, an initiative from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Find another car seat inspection station near you in Indiana here.
If you go
The event will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. May 14 at Ivy Tech’s North Illinois Center, 108 W. 28th St. Attendees should enter from 28th Street.
For more information on the event, call 317-274-2977.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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