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NMDOT Sponsors Statewide Child Safety Seat Clinic

NMDOT Sponsors Statewide Child Safety Seat Clinic

New Mexico Department of Transportation
13 September 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marisa Maez
Marisa.maez@state.nm.us
(505) 469-8243

To Support Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week 2019

SANTA FE – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every 32 seconds in 2017, one child under the age of 13 in a passenger vehicle was involved in a crash. Many times, injuries and deaths can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts. When it comes to the safety of children riding in a vehicle, the main focus should be on the correct installation and usage of car seats and boosters, the agency reports.

Sunday, Sept. 15 through Saturday, Sept. 21 is national Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week. The campaign highlights the importance of ensuring all children are properly secured in an appropriate car seat or seatbelt. To support the event, the New Mexico Department of Transportation will sponsor simultaneous statewide child safety seat clinics on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The clinics will take place at nine different locations throughout the state as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week Seat Check Saturday.

“We conduct monthly car seat clinics and fitting stations around the state, but this kind of national event is really special,” said Transportation Secretary Mike Sandoval. “Multiple states are joining in to ensure the safety of our country’s children. Just a few minutes can help save your child’s life.”

According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle-related injuries remain a leading cause of death for children ages 15 and younger. Using child safety seats decreases the risk of death by an estimated 71% for rear-facing infants and 54% for older, forward-facing children. Additionally, belt-positioning booster seats reduce the likelihood of significant injury for 4- to 8-year-old children over the use of seat belts alone.

At the statewide event, parents and caregivers will spend approximately 30 minutes per seat working directly with a certified child passenger safety technician. During each seat check, technicians will provide education about the proper selection, installation, and use of child safety seats. To ensure the best possible fit, parents and caregivers should bring their child safety seat, and if possible, their child.

The clinics are a public service provided by the NMDOT’s Traffic Safety Division and Safer New Mexico Now. There is no charge for the service, however a seat replacement fee may apply. For more information, or to find the nearest clinic to you, visit www.safernm.org or call (800) 231-6145 Monday-Friday. Statewide child safety seat clinics will be held at the following locations:

For more information about National Child Passenger Safety Week and National Seat Check Saturday, or for other child passenger safety information, call (800) 231-6145 or visit www.safernm.org.

For more information about the New Mexico Department of Transportation, visit www.dot.state.nm.us.

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