Car seats are used every day to keep children safe, yet studies show more than half of all car seats are installed incorrectly.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, certified child passenger safety check technicians in Hawaii performed hundreds of in-person car seat safety checks every month. Now, it’s come to a near grinding halt.
“On one hand, people aren’t traveling around as much. But for parents going home from the hospital with new babies, they haven’t had the chance to do a car seat check. This is all new to them,” said car seat technician Stephanie Capllonch with Adventist Health Castle.
The safety check is a simple procedure that could save you from tragedy and heartbreak down the road.
“Even for a short car ride down to the store, you never know what’s going to happen. Even a fender bender, you know, 20 miles an hour can cause damage, severe damage if the child is unrestrained,” said Capllonch.
The week of September 20-27 is Child Passenger Safety Week, and the week ends with “National Seat Check Saturday.”
To reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19, free virtual car seat checks are available this Saturday, Sept. 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Hawaii Pacific Health Systems has partnered with The Queens Medical Center, Adventist Health Castle, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, KIPC, and DTRIC Insurance to provide the service.
Appointments are virtual and one-on-one, with a certified child passenger safety technician, to help prevent common mistakes.
“One of the most important things, or most common things that we see are the children are not harnessed correctly.”
Technician Stephanie Capllonch says the harness must be snug across the kid’s chest.
“Another frequent error is the car seat is not installed tight enough.”
If you can slide the car seat more than an inch to the side, Capllonch says that’s wrong.
“We want to make sure that children are as protected as possible. They’re the most valuable, precious things in our lives. We want to make sure they are safe.”
Each virtual appointment lasts approximately 45 minutes.
To schedule an appointment, call 808-527-2588.