Safe in the car

GULF COAST - You baby proof your home - the kitchen, bathroom, play room, the stairs. But, how about your car? 99% of kids are not safe when they're riding in cars, because their car seats are not installed the right way.

That's a pretty scary thought, huh? But, putting in a car seat, is not as easy as it may seem. Sargent Leroy Smith, with the Saraland Police Department, is a licensed car seat inspector. He says the first thing we need to do, is read the car seat manual and our car's manuel. Each has vital safety information. And, stick to what comes with your safety seats. Sargent Smith explains, "anything that's been added onto the car seats need to be taken off. There are no federal guidelines on any testing on any of this stuff. So, we don't know what it's going to do during an accident." Sargent Smith says that includes covers, toys, mirrors - all those things that do not come with the safety seats.

WHAT TO DO
Here are some other things to think about when you install your child's car seat:

• Look at the seat belts in your car. You need to know what kind you have: emergency locking, automatic locking or a combination. Pull the belt all the way out, and see if it starts racheting when it lets back in. You may need a locking clip to keep your car seat secure.
• Make sure the car seat you have complies with the federal motor vehicle

DON'T USE A CAR SEAT:

• The labels on it are curling. That means it's been exposed to a whole lot of heat, which is not a good thing.
• Don't use it if you don't know its history.
• Make sure it's in good condition, and not older than six years old.
• If it's been involved in an accident where the car had to be towed away, you probably want to look into a new seat.

For more information, click here www.cpsalabama.org.

PLEASE JOIN US!

I know that's a whole lot of information! So, to make it easier, we want you to bring your car seat to us, to get inspected.

We are hosting a FREE Car Seat Installation Day on Wednesday! Licensed car seat inspectors will be here. And, they'll help you fix any problems they may find.

So, mark your calendar for this Wednesday, November 18th, here at the Fox 10 Studios, starting at 7 a.m.

We hope to see you here!