Car Seat Inspections Begin This Month In Somerset County

Want to know if your child’s passenger safety seat is up to par? Starting this month, Child Safety Seat Fitting Stations will be open once a week in either Somerset of Hunterdon County. 

According to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office:

Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano and Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III announce that this month parents and caregivers can receive assistance and instruction with the proper installation and use of child passenger safety seats.

Through a grant provided by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Child Safety Seat Fitting Stations will be open once a week in one of the two counties, on an alternating basis, for the balance of 2014 and continuing through 2015. Certified technicians will be available at indoor Fitting Stations to inspect and educate parents and caregivers as to the proper use and application of the wide variety of child passenger safety seats.

The indoor Fitting Station concept affords parents the ability to spend time with certified technicians, regardless of the weather, and gain instruction as to proper installation and use year round. From October 2013 through September 2014, technicians at the Fitting Station in Somerset County inspected 487 seats.

The technicians found that 80% of the child seats that arrived were either installed incorrectly or improperly used in some way. During 2013, technicians at the Hunterdon County Fitting Station inspected 148 seats and found that 98% of them required corrections as to use or installation. Instances of observed misuse included the use of unapproved aftermarket product, the incorrect installation of a seat, and the use of a seat that was on safety recalled.

There is no cost for this service. No appointment is necessary.

The Center for Disease Control reports that the leading cause of death for children is unintentional injury. While there are several types of incidents that bring about these injuries, motor vehicle crashes is at the top of the list. Studies and tests conducted by the Federal government have shown that a properly installed, adjusted and used child passenger safety seat can greatly reduce a child’s exposure to the possibility of injury and death.

The locations and schedules are as follows:

Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Company #2

375 Route 206, Hillsborough Township, N.J.

First Saturday of the month 10:00 am to 1:30 pm

Third Wednesday of the month 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Hunterdon County Complex

314 State Route 12, Flemington, N.J.

Second Tuesday of the month 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

*All dates at each location exclude holidays.

Anyone looking for additional information can visit the websites www.njsaferoads.com or www.sctrafficsafety.com or by send an email to carseats@scpo.net or donnasnyder@co.hunterdon.nj.us