Affton, Mehlville Fire Inspecting Car Seats for Child Passenger Safety Week

Today begins Child Passenger Safety Week, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that families get their child safety seats inspected.

Child Passenger Safety Week falls during the third full week of September. During the week, parents and other caregivers across Missouri can have certified child passenger safety technicians inspect their car seats and provide advice for free. Missouri law requires all children younger than 8 years old to be in a child safety seat or booster seat until they weigh 80 pounds or are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Both the and the offer free car seat inspections. Inspections are also available at Gapsch Carstar Collision Center, 4709 Green Park Rd. in Green Park. Call ahead for more information.

For children ages 1 through 12, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death. An average of two children age 12 and younger were killed every day in 2009, according to the NHTSA website.

For additional inpsection stations NHTSA has an inspection station locator.