Car Seat Check Hosted by County

Do you have questions about car seats? It is hard to keep track of what age, weight, height or size your child needs to be to switch types of safety seats. From baby carriers, to booster seats, seats with backs and seats without, parents can have total confusion about which seat can keep your child safe.

Thankfully, the county's Department of Health is here to help.

Child safety seats save lives, but only when they are installed and used properly. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one to thirteen according to crash data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Association. In 2011, nine children, from newborns to age 8, lost their lives in vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania. Another 2,487 children were injured. Most of these injuries and deaths are attributed to incorrect installation of a safety seat.

Pennsylvania law requires that children under the age of 4 ride in a federally-approved car seat that is appropriate for the child's age, height, and weight. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 must use a booster seat if they are no longer in a car seat.

“Properly installed and sized car seats are critically important in protecting our children from injuries or worse,” said Josh Shapiro, chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners.  “I urge everyone with young children to take advantage of this program sponsored by your Montgomery County Health Department.”

The state’s seat-belt law mandates that children ages 8 to 17 must use a seat belt, and violating this law is a primary offense. It is a secondary offense for drivers and front-seat passengers age 18 and older to travel unbuckled.

Because of the potential dangers associated with air bag deployment, children ages 12 and under should always ride in a vehicle’s back seat.

The Montgomery County Health Department Child Passenger Safety Program offers free child safety seat inspection sites throughout the county. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Health Injury Risk Reduction Bureau. This program is offered year-round to ensure parents and caregivers always have access to information and services that help keep children safe.

In addition to the existing inspection stations, a new site with evening hours has been added. Beginning May 21 and the third Tuesday of each month thereafter, people in the New Hanover area can schedule an appointment to have their child safety seat checked at the New Hanover Fire Department on Swamp Pike. 

For more information about this site and others, please visit the Web site here. To schedule an appointment, please call the Car Seat Appointment Hotline at 610-278-5119.