Last Saturday’s Bryan/College Station car seat checkup event was a record breaker.
Bev Kellner of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension passenger safety office reported 194 inspections took place.
Only seven children arrived correctly restrained.
55 children arrived totally unrestrained for incorrectly riding in a seat belt.
138 children received a new car seat.
Details provided by Bev Kellner of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety office:
The car seat checkup event was an excellent partnership between the College Station Kiwanis Club and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Passenger Safety Project and the Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition in cooperation with TxDOT.
We are also very grateful for the support from Brazos Valley Recycling.
We truly appreciated the many technicians, senior checkers and volunteers who came out and worked so hard to make it possible to conduct 194 inspections!
It was evident that the parents were sincerely grateful for the education they received at the event.
Here are some interesting statistics from the event:
• 194 inspections conducted
• 7 children arrived correctly restrained (2-older children that fit seat belt, 2-booster seat children and 3 –parents had read the manuals from car seat and vehicle!!)
• 138 new seats issued
• 55 children arrived totally unrestrained or incorrectly riding in a seat belt
The proper use of child safety seats reduces the risk of injury and death, leading to reduced medical costs, avoidance of lost future earnings, and improved quality of life.
These economic benefits are an estimated $2,159 per child age 0 to 4 and $2,606 per child age 4 to 7 for new seats distributed, and $622 per child for seat misuse corrected with an assumed 75% continued use.
Based on this formula, the total economic impact for the 194 inspections at the event on April 22nd is $266,824.