Free child safety seat inspection in Palm Desert

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is checking child’s car seats for proper installation and safety requirements.

The event will be free at the Palm Desert station on Gerald Ford. In an effort to reduce the number of children killed and injured in traffic collisions, these inspections are conducted to identify the proper use of a child seat/restraint. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 5 most common mistakes with child seat use are:

Wrong harness slot used – The harness straps used to hold the child in the car seat were positioned either too low or too high. Harness chest clip positioned over the abdomen rather than the chest or not used at all. Loose car seat installation – The restraint system moved more than two inches side-to-side or front to back; anything more than one inch is too much. Loose harness – More than two inches of total slack between the child and the harness strap; there should be no slack. Seat belt placement was wrong – Lap belt resting over the stomach and/or shoulder belt on the child’s neck or face.

The department will have certified technicians onsite to provide car seat inspections of your current car seat to ensure your child is properly fitted. Officers will also make any adjustment and show you how to properly install a car seat. In addition, officers will provide current educational material regarding current laws and recommendations.

For an appointment, call Community Service Officer Stacey Austin at (760) 836-1697 or Community Service Officer Summer Castillo at (760) 836-1761.

Funding for this car seat event is provided to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department / County of Riverside Department of Public Health – Injury Prevention Services by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.