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Community Corner

Safe Kids Huron Valley Urges Parents to Understand and Use Car Seat Safety for Kids

-Free car seat inspections hosted monthly and during Child Passenger Safety Week: Sept. 15 – 21

                                                                                                                                  

Ann Arbor, Mich.  – Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent, according to Safe Kids Huron Valley, who works year-round to ensure kids are buckled up safely, every trip, every time.  The non-profit organization has more than 50 certified technicians who conduct free car seat inspections to teach drivers how to properly use and install a child safety seat in their vehicle.

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Safe Kids Huron Valley’s technicians host the free child seat inspections at monthly events held at five locations in Washtenaw and Livingston counties (see list of stations and events).  Since January, Safe Kids Huron Valley has checked nearly 1,100 seats, and by the end of the year is expected to surpass its 2012 record of 1300 seat checks. 

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“We want all parents to make sure their kids’ car seats are used and installed correctly and that the whole family is buckled up every time, on every ride,” said Jennifer A. Shea, Safe Kids Huron Valley Child Passenger Safety Technician and Buckle Up Coordinator, C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

 

During the week of Sept. 17 – 22, Safe Kids Huron Valley will celebrate Child Passenger Safety Week with Safe Kids USA coalitions nationwide in conducting local car seat checkup events for families and their children.  Two free events will be hosted by Safe Kids Huron Valley in Washtenaw County: 

 

Free Child Car Seat Inspections during Child Passenger Safety Week:

 

Wed., Sept. 18, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Ypsilanti Twp. Fire Department

222 South Ford Blvd, Ypsilanti Twp.

Appointment needed.  Contact: Jen Shea johjenni@med.umich.edu;

Buckle Up Hotline:  734-763-2251  


Sat., Sept. 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Suburban Chevy Ann Arbor
3515 Jackson Rd, Ann Arbor
No appointment required.  Questions, contact: Jennifer Shea, johjenni@med.umich.edu

 

For the past 16 years, Safe Kids USA has enjoyed a successful partnership with General Motors and the GM  Foundation in providing the Safe Kids Buckle Up program, a portfolio of targeted safety information for parents of newborns through age 14.  

 

The Safe Kids Buckle Up program, which is the largest, most comprehensive child passenger safety program in the country, offers parents hands-on instruction about safety inside the car (including information on car seats, booster seats, and seat belts) as well as around the car.

 

With support from the GM Foundation, Safe Kids Buckle Up provides educational materials, grants and support to Safe Kids USA’s coalitions to conduct safety programs at the local level, such as Safe Kids Huron Valley, throughout the country.

 

According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old in the United States. Like Safe Kids, NHTSA teaches parents the best way to protect their kids is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way.

The free Safe Kids’ car seat inspections offer parents and caregivers the opportunity to receive the peace of mind that comes from knowing how to properly remove and install child safety and booster seats for children of all ages.

 

Safe Kids Huron Valley Fitting Stations’ Monthly Car Seat Checks

 

·         1st Monday of each month. Ypsilanti Fire Dept.  10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

            525 West Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti.  By appointment only.

·         2nd Wednesday of each month.  Ann Arbor Fire Dept.  4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

           1881 Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor. No appointment needed.

·         2nd Thursday of each month.  Livingston County EMS. 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

           3950 West Grand River Ave., Howell.  By appointment only.

·         3rd Wednesday of each month.  Ypsilanti Twp. Fire Dept.  12 p.m. -3 p.m.

           222 South Ford Blvd, Ypsilanti Twp. By appointment only

·         4th Tuesday of each month.  Scio Twp. Fire Dept. 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

1055 North Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor.  No appointment needed.

 

To make an appointment, call the Buckle Up Hotline:  734-763-2251  

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About Safe Kids Huron Valley

 

Safe Kids Huron Valley, which includes Livingston and Washtenaw counties, works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children through age 14. Safe Kids Huron Valley is a member of Safe Kids Michigan and Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Huron Valley is proudly led by University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.  For more information about Safe Kids, visit:  www.safekids.org.  For more information on Safe Kids Huron Valley, visit their Facebook site.  

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