The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommendations for purchasing and using child safety seats:
• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system; and check height and weight limits.
• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
• Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.
A recent survey by NHTSA found that the following are the five most significant and commonly observed mistakes made by parents and caregivers when using and installing car seats and booster seats:
• 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 survey also revealed that 20 percent of all drivers of child passengers did not read any instructions on how to properly install their child restraints, yet 90 percent felt “confident” or “very confident” that their car seats and booster seats were installed correctly.
Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations
Nassau County Nassau County Traffic Safety Board
170 Cantiague Rock Rd., Hicksville
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 2:30 p.m. — appointment required
Contact: Christopher Mistron at 516-571-9664
Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York
North Shore-LIJ Health System
269-01 76th Ave., New Hyde Park
monthly, appointment required
Contact: Debora Riccardi at 718-470-3352
North Shore-LIJ Health System
Plainview Hospital, 888 Old Country Rd., Plainview
monthly, appointment required
Contact: Nicole Santora or Tasha Felix-Jerome at 516-719-2613
Garden City Police Department
349 Stewart Ave., Garden City
appointment required
Contact: 516-465-4121
Town of Hempstead Department of Public Safety
200 North Franklin St., Hempstead
Locations: Fall/Winter/Spring in East Meadow
Wednesdays and one weekend day each month, appointment required
Contact: 516-538-1900, ext. 217 or toh.li/public-safety-department
EAC Safe Start
175 Fulton Ave., Hempstead
Appointment required
Spanish Speaking Technicians are available.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at 516-292-7362
Education & Assistance Corporation Nassau County
170 Cantiague Rock Rd., Hicksville
Thursdays, appointment required
Spanish speaking technicians are available.
Contact: Angela Brockmann at 516-292-7362
Winthrop University Hospital
Winthrop parking garage, Old Country Road and Fifth Avenue, Mineola
Sundays, appointment required
Contact: 516-663-4839, leave a message with your name and phone number
Strapped in Car Seat Safety
13 Woodtree Dr., Woodbury
appointment required
Contact: Brett Soloman at 516-521-3696
