Manatee County EMS is hosting two free car seat check events during National Child Passenger Safety Week: Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Certified technicians will inspect your seat, help you reinstall it correctly, and answer the questions that come up as kids grow. Each inspection takes about 30 minutes to an hour, and no appointment is needed.
The reason these events exist is sobering. Officials say roughly 74% of children locally who were injured in motor vehicle crashes were riding in a car seat that had been improperly installed. Nationally, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital puts the misuse rate around 73%. The most common issues aren’t dramatic: a loose install, a harness that’s too low or too loose, a seat that’s expired or doesn’t match the child’s height and weight. Technicians also help families figure out when to move from rear-facing to forward-facing to a booster, and the guidance is to check the manufacturer’s limits rather than going by age alone.
To get the most out of a visit, bring the child, the car seat, the vehicle, and the manuals if you still have them. Saturday’s event will have a Spanish-language interpreter available. If you’re a grandparent, a snowbird, or anyone who regularly drives little ones around the Suncoast, this is a quick, free way to know for sure. Have you had your car seat checked since your child moved up a size?
