RALEIGH – To reduce child crash fatalities, North Carolina officials kicked off Child Passenger Safety Week 2024 today with a free car seat giveaway and special instruction on how to properly install the seats.
Officials with Safe Kids NC, the N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program, and State Farm® hosted the event at Target in Apex’s Beaver Creek Commons and provided more than 50 child safety seats to families in need.
"Child Passenger Safety Week is about raising awareness and taking action,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “This event is a great opportunity for families to get expert help in securing their child's seat. Every properly installed seat is a step closer to preventing tragic crashes."
Child Passenger Safety Week raises awareness of how to correctly install child safety seats to protect children in vehicles. Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children in the U.S., but properly installed car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.
Data shows that many child safety seats are incorrectly used or installed, which increases the risk of severe injuries or deaths during crashes.
"Properly installing child safety seats is one of the most critical ways to protect our children on the road,” said Brian Taylor, North Carolina state fire marshal. “We are committed to helping families ensure their seats are correctly installed and educating them on the importance of child passenger safety."
Similar car seat checks and safety events will be held statewide this week. Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to help with car seat installations and answer questions about child passenger safety.
Those unable to attend an event can take advantage of year-round online resources such as Local Programs & Checking Stations:
BuckleUpNC.org – Securing North Carolina for Life provided by Safe Kids NC and the Governor's Highway Safety Program.
Financial support for the event was provided by State Farm through the Good Neighbor Car Seat Safety Program.
"State Farm is committed to helping kids stay safe from car seat to driver’s seat,” said Kim Conyers, a State Farm representative. “We are excited to work with Safe Kids NC and the Governor's Highway Safety Program and have this opportunity to support child passenger safety and help make our communities safer.”