MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach Fire Department will hold car seat safety checks during National Car Seat Safety Week.

According to MBFD’s Facebook page, the safety checks will be held on the following dates and times:

  • Wednesday, September 18 from 3-5 p.m. at Target, 1150 Seaboard Street
  • Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Big Wave Chiropractic Health Fair, 3620 Walton Drive

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Car Seat Safety Week runs from September 15 to September 21.

“The goal is to make sure your child is in the correct car seat, that it’s properly installed and used, and that it’s registered with its manufacturer to ensure you receive important safety updates,” NHTSA’s website says. “Car seats and boosters are one of the easiest ways to keep your child safe and, when installed correctly, car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury in a crash by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers.”

About 3,313 children under 13 years old were killed while riding in passenger vehicles from 2013 to 2017, according to NHTSA. The first yearly decrease since 2014 was seen in 2017, but about 37 percent of children killed in 2017 were not buckled.

“Unfortunately, many parents install their child seats incorrectly. Among children under 5, an estimated 325 lives were saved in 2017 alone because they were properly buckled, but an additional 46 children could have been saved if every child was properly buckled,” NTHSA’s website also said.

NHTSA encourages anyone with car seats in their vehicle to visit a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician in their community “to double-check that it’s correctly installed and that you’re using it correctly.”

According to NHTSA’s Car Seat Inspection website, safety technicians in the News13 area include:

  • Myrtle Beach Fire Department Station 6, located on 38th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach
  • Myrtle Beach Police Department, located on Howard Avenue in Myrtle Beach
  • Conway Police Department, located on 9th Avenue in Conway
  • North Myrtle Beach DPS, located on Second Avenue South in North Myrtle Beach
  • Horry County Fire Rescue, located on Main Street in Conway
  • Midway Fire Rescue, located on Saint Paul Place in Pawleys Island
  • Safe Kids Florence Pee Dee/McLeod Regional Medical Center, located on East Cheves Street in Florence
  • Marion City Fire Department, located on E. Bond Street in Marion
  • Hartsville Fire Department, located on South 7th Street in Hartsville
  • Lake City Fire Department, located on North Acline Street in Lake City
  • Lee County EMS, located on Industrial Blvd. in Bishopville
  • Lumberton Fire Department Station 1, located on N. Cedar Street in Lumberton, NC
  • Lumberton Rescue and EMS, located on N. Roberts Ave. in Lumberton
  • Robeson County Health Department, located on Country Club Rd. In Lumberton

Visit NHTSA’s Car Seat Safety Inspection website for other locations and information about car seat inspections.

On NHTSA’s “Find the Right Seat” website, a child’s age, height, and weight can be entered for a comparison of car seats. The website also has information about finding the right seat for your child.

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