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Community Corner

Car Seat Safety Check in Palatine

Nearly 3 in 4 car seats are installed incorrectly, find out if your child is safely secured at the Palatine Police Department Oct. 5.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available Friday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Palatine Police Department to check car seats for proper installation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 75 percent of children are riding in car safety seats that are not properly installed or don't fit correctly, either because a child is in the wrong seat, or the child is not placed in the seat incorrectly.

Traffic accidents are still the leading cause of death for children ages 12 and under. NHTSA reports on average, two children die on the roads every day, and more than 300 are injured, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Properly installed, placing a child in an age and size appropriate car seat reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.

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Although there is no law to require car seat inspections, the Palatine Crime Prevention Unit will offer free safety checks to ensure a safer installation.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will not install the seats. The child safety seat program is intended to educate parents how to properly install their child’s seat. Parents should install the child seat to the best of their ability and bring the child seat and vehicle owner’s manuals to the check; safety technicians can take it from there.

Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The free safety check will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Palatine Police Headquarters at 595 North Hicks Road, Friday, Oct. 5.

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