Local agencies offer free safety seat inspections

Local law enforcement agencies have teamed up to offer free inspections for child safety seats at Jasper City Hall Feb. 22 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Parents, grandparents or anyone who transports a child in a vehicle can bring the child and the car seat in for a free "check-up."

Newton will hold a similar inspection March 8 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Main Street.

"Children's car seats are misused eight out of 10 times," according to Georgette Pillitere, traffic safety specialist for TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) in Beaumont.

"People mean to do the right thing, but it's confusing, and it's not going to get any better until we educate people. We will check how the seats are installed, if they fit the child, and whether the parent knows how to use these seats properly."

Patricia Eifert, the local installation technician for TXDOT, Jasper's DARE officer Wanda Brister and many local volunteers will help conduct a 40-point inspection of the car seats.

"We're doing a lot of these checkups as part of child passenger safety week," Pillitere said. She said Jasper is fortunate to have a number of volunteers trained in car seat safety.

"They have to be certified, so it takes time and effort on their part," Pillitere said. But they do not lack for volunteers, many of whom come from law enforcement, first responders and trauma room personnel, "because they see the injuries, like seat belt syndrome or worse, when children aren't in these seats."

The inspectors will take the seats out of the vehicle, check all the belts and buckles and parts that can be a problem. They will find the model number and check for any recalls or safety concerns so they can inform the owner and help them remedy any defects.

It is a state law that children under five years of age and 36 inches ride in an approved safety seat. Pillitere said this law has saved so many children that the legislature is considering upping the age to eight and height to 4'9".

The inspectors will make sure the owner can reinstall the seat correctly, and buckle the child in properly.

"We sometimes see people put the shoulder belt under the child's arm. Did you know that in some types of collision this could rip the heart from its axis?" Pillitere said. "That's why we need to have both the child and the seat for this inspection. We have to see if the caregiver knows how to use the seat properly."

The inspection takes 20-30 minutes. If someone cannot attend the Feb. 22 event, you can request an appointment with Eifert at 384-5493. Texas Cooperative county extension agents also have information on buckling up your babies. In Jasper call Cindy VanDevender at 384-3721; in Newton, Charlotte Meyer, 379-4831.