Danielle Flack, a certified car seat technician at Richland County Health Department, estimates it will take that long to check the proper installation of a car seat. Technicians will be inspecting cars in the parking lot of St. Mary's School in Breckenridge Saturday, Sept. 6, from 1-4 p.m.
"Usually, nine out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly," Flack said. "It's a good time (for everyone) to get their car seats checked to make sure they're correct."
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The law also mandates children use a seat belt as a substitution only if they weigh more than 80 pounds and are more than 4 feet 9 inches tall.
State recommendations include keeping babies rear facing for at least one year and until they weigh more than 20 pounds.
"They have to be both," said Flack. "They're saying they have to be rear-facing as long as the car seat lets them."
As car seats are designed to absorb the impact of a crash, keeping the seat rear-facing provides a better cushion for the child's head in the event of an accident.
"If your car seat lasts until the child is 35 pounds, it's safest to leave them that way," she said.
A certified technician will help parents install the seat properly.
"We don't want to install it ourselves," said Flack. "We want them to do the install so they remember how to do it."
The Richland County Health Department requests parents bring in the car seat and the child that sits in it.
"If they have car seat instructions, we'd like those, too," said Flack.
If parents cannot attend the inspection on Headwater's Day, they can contact the Wilkin or Richland County health departments for further information.
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