The Halifax County Public Health System is participating in Child Passenger Safety Week, September 18 through 24 and Seat Check Saturday, September 24. 

These events encourage North Carolina parents and caregivers to make sure their car seats and booster seats fit their children properly and that the seats are correctly installed in vehicles.

Certified child passenger safety technicians will be at the health department on September 24 to assist families with their car seats. Call 252-583-5021 to schedule an appointment

While Child Passenger Safety Week provides a key opportunity to encourage the safe installation and use of car seats and booster seats in September, these safety measures are critical throughout the year, the health department said.

The following statistics are:

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children aged one to 13-years-old.

An average of 60,000 children aged zero to 15-years-old were involved in motor vehicle crashes between 2016 and 2020 in North Carolina.

Among children under the age of 15 who were killed or seriously injured in passenger vehicle crashes, 31 percent were unrestrained, according to North Carolina data from 2016 to 2020.

“North Carolina has one of the strongest child passenger safety programs in the country with over 3,200 nationally certified Child Passenger Safety technicians across the state,” said Bevan Kirley, senior research associate at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. “These dedicated professionals serve their communities every day and are committed to helping families make sure their kids are riding safely in the car. Child Passenger Safety Week is a celebration of their efforts and a reminder to families to have their car seats checked.”