Beaufort County EMS, in partnership with Low Country Safe Kids and the Beaufort Kiwanis Club, will teach people how to maximize protection of their young passengers at a free car seat inspection Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Beaufort Town Center, located on Boundary Street near Kmart.<!--more-->

Parents are invited to drive into the parking lot with their children secured in their vehicle. A team of EMS certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect the seat for defects and recalls and tell parents whether their children are property secured. Parents will not be cited or penalized for any practices that require correction.

An alarming number of children die in traffic crashes each year because of improperly installed car seats, defective car seats or the lack of car seats. National statistics show that out of 37,899 child safety seat inspections, 81.6% were installed incorrectly and with each incorrect installation there was an average of three mistakes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration child safety seats reduce the risk of death for infants in a vehicle crash by 71 percent and reduce the risk to toddlers between 1 and 4 years old by 54 percent.

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