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Keeping children safe on the road not only means putting them in the right car restraint at the right age, it also means installing and using a child safety seat correctly in a vehicle. We run this clinic because we know it helps save lives, one family at a time, says Fran Mayko, a child passenger safety seat technician at the Automobile Club of America (AAA) of Southern New England/Connecticut. And we are the people who really know how to do it right, she adds.
Unfortunately, most parents do not know what theyre doing where installing car seats is concerned. According to data compiled by the AAA since 2002, 86 percent of car seats are either installed or used incorrectly. The AAA number parallels National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) figures reporting 80 percent of parents do not use their car seats correctly.
Having installed a few short of 10,000 car seats in the past eight years, AAA of Southern New England/Connecticut knows a thing or two about correct car seat installation. Through its statewide initiative, Seated, Safe & Secure, AAA technicians educate parents and families about the importance of proper installation and use. The latest free clinic was held recently at the Belltown Volunteer Fire Department in Stamford.
Alyson Schroeder is a very-expectant mother-to-be, but the fact that she doesnt yet have a baby to put in a car seat didnt stop her from attending the free clinic. Im new to this whole parenthood thing but I wanted to make sure my husband and I know what were getting into, at least where car seats are concerned, she said.
And Alyson brought along a hand-me-down car seat, given to her by her mother, because she wants to know if it adheres to current safety codes. They have a database so you instantly find out if old car seats are still okay to use, or even if theyve been recalled, she said.
For information about upcoming clinics, call (203) 765-4222, ext. 3142
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