Many Child Safety Seats Improperly Installed In Pennsylvania

Troopers Check Seats as Part of 'Click It or Ticket' Enforcement Effort

HARRISBURG, PA--June 20, 2011: More than three-quarters of the 319 child passenger safety seats inspected by state troopers during a two-week enforcement effort were found to be improperly installed, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said today.

"Child passenger safety seat restraint systems save lives, but only when they are used properly," Noonan said. "Our troopers typically find a high percentage of problems with the installation of child safety seats when we offer voluntary inspections. I urge parents to check the child safety seats in their vehicles and seek assistance from the state police if they have questions or concerns."

State police inspected 319 safety seats at 45 locations statewide during a Click It or Ticket campaign that ran from May 23 to June 5. Noonan said troopers found that 246, or about 77 percent, of those seats were improperly installed.

"Common problems included failing to securely anchor the child seat to the vehicle's seat; failing to use the child's seat harness to hold the child in the seat; and facing the car seat in the wrong direction," Noonan said.

Parents can schedule an appointment for an inspection of a child safety seat by calling any state police station. Station inspection dates can be found by going to the Safety Education link at the state police website.

Noonan noted that during the two-week Click It or Ticket enforcement effort, troopers issued 902 seat belt citations and 3,874 seat belt warnings; cited 63 persons for failing to properly restrain a child in a safety seat; and arrested 32 persons for driving under the influence. Citations and warnings were not issued to people who brought their seats to the voluntary inspections.

To learn more about Pennsylvania's seat belt and child safety seat laws, visit Drive Safe PA.