GRAMERCY – The St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a Child Safety Seat Check-up event with the help of the South Central Safe Community Partnership’s and Winn Dixie this coming Saturday in Gramercy.
The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Winn Dixie, located at 1803 Louisiana Highway 3125 in Gramercy. This event will allow certified child safety seat technicians to provide parents and caregivers with the proper information regarding the installation of child safety seat in vehicles.
The check-up is just in time for the the end of National Passenger Safety Week, which began on Sunday and will end the day of the event. It is supported by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force.
Research shows that child safety seats are 71 percent effective in reducing deaths for infants during a motor vehicle crash and 54 percent effective for toddlers. But child safety seats are only effective if used correctly – studies have shown that as many as three out of four car seats are used incorrectly.
The improper use of child safety seats can be attributed to the proliferation of child seats and vehicles available in today’s consumer marketplace. This child safety seat check-up event can help prevent the misuse of child seats by educating the public on appropriate child seats for each age group and proper vehicle installation.
The service is provided free of charge and the public is encouraged to attend. For more information, contact St. James Deputy Dustin Poche at dustin.poche@st.jamesla.com or 225-562-2200. The public may also contact Regional CPS coordinator Michael Toups at mtoups@tpcg.org or call 985-855-6347.
Safety seat events will also be held in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, New Iberia and Shreveport. Citizens looking for an event in their area may contact Bridget Gardner at 504-903-3181 or via email at bgardn@lsuhc.edu. Other information, including a listing of Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force Fitting Stations, can be found online at www.lahighwaysafety.org.