Child Passenger Safety Week

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are stressing the importance of children’s car seats.

Child Passenger Safety Week encourages parents and caregivers to get their child’s car seat checked by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. Folks with the certification as a Child Passenger Safety Technician took 40 hours of classes and training to be able to pass on what they learned to parents and caregivers.

Christian Forcier is a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician at the Presque Isle Fire Department.

Forcier said, “You would actually be surprised how many parents have had kids. It’s their fourth or fifth kid. But in their mind, they are installing their car seat properly when in fact it’s not installed properly, and effectively. I make sure that the car seat is in fact installed the proper way, and make sure that the child is the correct size and weight for that car seat. I also inspect the car seat to make sure that there are no damages, rips, tears, breaks, or cracks because that will ultimately defect the car seat as well. So, there are several different things that we look for to ensure that your child is safe and your car seat is installed correctly”.

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, Krystal Caron, from the Maliseet Health and Wellness Center in Houlton, checked car seats from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. Alyssa Wood was one of the parents who got their child’s car seat checked today.

Wood said, “I get my car seat inspected to know there’s absolute safety for my baby. She’s going to be safe under whatever circumstances. It’s really just you know to make sure you’re doing the right and proper seating arrangements. So that way your baby is safe. It’s a good learning experience.”

Child Passenger Safety Week will wrap up with National Seat Check Saturday. On that day, Cary Medical Center, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, and the Presque Isle Fire Department will be offering free car seat safety checks for parents and caregivers.