DaimlerChrysler's SeatCheck Reminds Parents of Important Safety Seat Tips for Child Passenger Safety Week

-- Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of kids; seven out of 10 children are not properly restrained

-- SeatCheck Web site (www.seatcheck.org) and toll-free hotline (1-866-SEATCHECK) provide easy, free access to certified child seat inspector locator database

-- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's annual Child Passenger Safety Week runs Feb. 12-17

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 12 -- Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one killer of kids and studies show that seven out of 10 kids in child safety seats not properly buckled in. To help parents and caregivers ensure their child seat is safely installed and that they are properly buckled in, SeatCheck provides easy access to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) child safety seat technician locator database.

A national public education campaign to provide parents with the resources to properly secure their children when traveling in motor vehicles, SeatCheck was created by DaimlerChrysler and its partners to inform parents and caregivers about the need for child safety seat inspections. The free service - available online at www.seatcheck.org or by calling 1-866-SEATCHCK - connects parents to the closest child safety seat inspection locations in their community to have their child's safety seat inspected for proper fit and use.

In honor of NHTSA's annual Child Passenger Safety Week, SeatCheck offers parents and caregivers the following safety tips for ensuring proper fit and use of their child's safety seat:

   * Infants must always be placed in rear-facing seats until they are at
     least one year old and 20 lbs. If less than a year old and more than 20
     lbs., be sure they ride in a seat approved for heavier babies and
     continue to ride rear-facing until at least one year old. Children may
     ride rear-facing in many seats up to 35 lbs. Never place a rear-facing
     infant seat in front of a passenger air bag.
   * Once children are forward-facing, they should ride in a forward-facing
     seat (convertible seat) until they reach approximately 40 lbs. All
     children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly
     restrained in booster seats until they are 4'9" tall.
   * Old/used child safety seats should not be used unless you are certain
     they have never been in a crash and you have all the parts (including
     instructions). Seats six years old or older should be discarded and
     never used. To check if your safety seat has been recalled, check the
     seat recall list on www.seatcheck.org.
   * Always read both the vehicle owner's manual and the instructions that
     come with the child safety seat.
   * Vehicles and rear- and forward-facing child safety seats manufactured
     after September 1, 2002, are equipped with LATCH (Lower Anchors and
     Tethers for CHildren) to help ease the installation of child safety
     seats. For more information on LATCH, visit www.seatcheck.org.
   * Children 12 & under should always be properly restrained in the back
     seat.
   * It's important to remember that the "best" child safety seat is the one
     that correctly fits the child, the vehicle, and is used correctly every
     time.
   * Get your child safety seats checked to make sure it is installed
     properly!

  About SeatCheck

DaimlerChrysler works with NHTSA, Graco Children's Products Inc., and AAA in efforts to raise awareness about SeatCheck. In addition to the free inspection locator service, the Web site offers parents useful information on keeping kids safe in motor vehicles. Since 2002, SeatCheck has successfully linked thousands of parents with certified inspectors convenient to them. The SeatCheck Web site averages 370,000 hits a month and the phone hotline receives more than 1,000 calls per month.

DaimlerChrysler Safety Programs

DaimlerChrysler is committed to keeping drivers and passengers safe when riding in motor vehicles. The Corporation has a long history of developing research-based education programs geared towards adults, teens and children to complement vehicle-based technology and raise awareness for automobile safety. DaimlerChrysler's current safety programs address safe teen driving (www.roadreadyteens.org) and child passenger safety (www.seatcheck.org).