Imperial County hosting free car seat safety inspection event this Saturday

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) — As National Child Passenger Safety Week gets underway, local agencies are teaming up to ensure Imperial County's youngest residents stay safe on the road.

The Imperial County Public Health Department, California Highway Patrol, Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, and First 5 Imperial are joining forces this Saturday, Sept. 26, for the 6th annual Child Safety Awareness Day.

The event comes at a critical time. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that nearly 350 children are injured every single day in traffic crashes nationwide. Local experts say many of those injuries stem from a common, unseen danger: incorrectly installed car seats.

"Probably more than 80% of the people that come here to seek education or get an inspection of their car seat…don’t have it properly secured," said Mayra Ibarra, Injury Prevention Coordinator for the Imperial County Public Health Department.

To combat this, certified technicians will be on-site this Saturday to inspect seats, guide parents through proper installation protocols, and provide crucial safety education. If a child’s car seat is found to be expired, damaged, or the wrong size, a proper replacement seat will be provided and installed at no cost.

According to health officials, many parents unknowingly drive around with a false sense of security, struggling to secure the seats tightly enough or misjudging when their child is ready for the next phase.

"You still see the loose mechanisms, whether it’s the harnesses or the seatbelt itself," Ibarra explained. "Or keeping your child in the one car seat they have longer than what they should be... meaning they’ve exceeded their height and weight for the car seat."

Saturday's event aims to bridge that knowledge gap by shifting from a simple quick-fix to an interactive learning process.

"With this, they get exposed to what the new laws and regulations are and they also get to learn how to properly install their car seat and know how to do it themselves," Ibarra said. "They get hands-on experience."

The event is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the west parking lot of the Imperial County Public Health Department, located at 935 Broadway Avenue in El Centro.

Families planning to attend must keep the following requirements in mind:

• Appointments are strictly required in advance. Organizers are spacing out time slots to dedicate personalized instruction to each family. The event is aiming to serve 30 to 35 families.
• The child must be present in the car seat on the day of the event to ensure proper fitting.

To schedule your appointment, call the Imperial County Public Health Department at (442) 265-1442.

Local officials emphasize that child passenger safety is a year-round priority. Families who cannot make it to the El Centro event this weekend can still access free inspections and refresher checks throughout the year. Parents can contact the Imperial County Public Health Department to schedule an appointment, or visit their local California Highway Patrol office, which provides the same complimentary safety services.