Free Car Seat Check Event

DECATUR, IL- Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) partners with local communities to hold events and raise
awareness throughout Child Passenger Safety Week, which runs this year from September
21-27. The Macon County Health Department will be offering a free car seat check event on
Friday, September 26, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Macon County Health
Department. Technicians will be available to help parents and caregivers determine the right
seats for their children and demonstrate how to correctly install and use those seats.
When it comes to child passengers, there is a right seat for every age and developmental
stage — from infants to teens. Whether it’s a rear-facing or forward-facing car seat, a booster
seat, or a seat belt, a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can put parents’ minds at
ease by confirming which seat is correct for their children and showing them how to correctly
install that seat in their vehicle. Children should stay in each seat and position until they
outgrow the height or weight limits for the car seat, and it’s important for all children under 13
to ride in the back seat.
Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children, and the latest research from NHTSA
shows that 46% of car seats are misused. Common issues include children being in the wrong
type of car seat for their age and size, and car seats being installed incorrectly — both of which
leave children vulnerable to injury in a crash. Every day in 2023, two children under 14 were
killed in traffic crashes, and another 345 were injured in traffic crashes while riding in passenger
vehicles.
Across the country, there are certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians who can help
caregivers pick the right car seat, learn how to install it correctly, and know how to use it the
right way on every trip. When attending a seat check, caregivers should bring the following
with them to the check event: the child who will be riding the car seat, the vehicle’s owner’s
manual, and the car seat instruction manual, if possible. Appointments are not required, and
Macon County Health Department
1221 E. Condit St • Decatur, IL 62521
(217) 423-6988 • www.maconchd.org
livewell@maconchd.org
served on a first-come, first-served basis. For additional information or to schedule an
appointment for a different day, please call 217-423-6988 and choose option 6.
For more information on child passenger safety, go to NHTSA.gov/therightseat.