TODAY: Car seat checkup event in Oviedo; police want to help parents keep kids safe

OVIEDO, Fla. — One of the most important jobs a parent can have is keeping a child safe when they are riding in a vehicle.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. Making sure a child is riding in a properly fitted car seat reduces their chances of being killed in a crash between 50-70%.

The Oviedo Police Department is now educating parents on how to install car seats and checking to make sure seats are in correctly.

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“The injuries and deaths in car crashes when a child is involved can be reduced by simply making sure the child is properly restrained and in the right restraining device,” Sgt. Charlie Crutcher, with the Oviedo Police Department, said.

The CDC reported 49% of child safety seats in the U.S. are installed or used improperly.

It’s a mistake that can lead to a child being injured, or worse, killed.

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In partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide, on Wednesday, the Oviedo Police Department is hosting its Car Seat Checkup Event.

Officers will be working alongside nationally certified child passenger safety technicians to help install or check car seats as well as educate people on how to use them.

“We will never sit there and tell them ‘Hey you did this wrong,’” Sgt. Crutcher said.

“We walk them through step by step and once we demo it, we let them demo it as well.”

All you have to do is bring a car seat and allow for about 25 minutes at the police station.

Last year, Oviedo police installed about 25 safety seats.

It’s a quick process that can save a life.

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“You see the importance because all you have to do is go to one serious crash and you see a child crying because they’re safe, you’re really glad you did what you were supposed to do,” Chief Dale Coleman, with the Oviedo Police Department, said.

The event will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Oviedo Police Department.

Organizers said attendees should proceed to the back of the station to get in line.

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