NEWS RELEASE
May 29, 2012
For further information, contact:
Jenna McCulley, Public Information Coordinator, at 541.682.5197, or
Melinda McLaughlin, APR, Public Information Director, at 541.682.5124
EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:
Will your kids’ car seats protect them in a crash?
Eugene Police Traffic Enforcement Unit joins with community partners to offer child safety seat check-ups
WHAT: Child safety seat check-up event
WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Valley River Center, Main Parking lot at Valley River Drive & Valley River Way
WHO: Certified child passenger safety technicians will help install and check the installation of child safety seats. The event is sponsored by Eugene Police, Valley River Center, KDUK Radio and Bi-Coastal Media, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Alliance for Community Traffic Safety of Oregon (ACTS).
COST: FREE!
Did you know the majority of child safety restraints are installed or used incorrectly? No matter how safely parents drive, a crash is still possible—and more than one-third of children who are killed or injured in Oregon traffic crashes are either unrestrained or not restrained properly. A stop at a car seat clinic can help ensure your child’s car seat is set up correctly to provide the protection it is designed for.
According to at least one study by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, more than 80 percent of child restraints are installed or used incorrectly. The three most common mistakes are reported to be not attaching the seat to the vehicle tightly enough, not fastening the harness tightly enough, and not using or incorrectly using the chest clip.
Eugene Police Traffic Enforcement Officers, along with certified child safety seat installers, will be on hand to help parents ensure their kids are safely secured in their vehicles. At the clinic, certified child passenger safety technicians will help install or check the installation of child safety seats and teach parents how to check and use the seats properly.
# # #