Car seat check held; none met criteria

Staff from the Women and Infants Center at St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese, Illinois Department of Transportation and Safe Kids, checked 19 children's car seats during a recent inspection and found none met safety criteria.

Car seat technicians looked to see if each car seat was properly installed, safe to use and being used correctly. Four of the 19 were outdated by several years and replaced.

The free car seat check was offered April 17 at the Breese American Legion. Interpreters for Spanish-speaking clients were available and hospital volunteers assisted.

According to statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children and 80 percent of children riding in safety seats are at risk.

Another car seat check is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 at the Breese Legion.

For more information, contact event coordinator and hospital interpreter Raquel Strubhart at 526-5435 or email Raquel.

Angie Feldman, car seat technician and aide in the Women and Infants Center at St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese, examines Barrett Lampe's safety seat during a free check April 17 while sister Kayleigh waits her turn. During the event, held at the Breese American Legion, Feldman and staff from the Illinois Department of Transportation and Safe Kids checked to see that each of the 19 car seats presented had been properly installed, were safe to use and were being used correctly. Of those examined, none met the criteria and were reinstalled. Another car seat check will be offered from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Breese Legion.

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Breese resident Brent Lampe was among those who stopped by the Breese American Legion April 17 to have car seat technicians from St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Safe Kids check the safety seats of his two children (from left) Kayleigh and Barrett Lampe. According to event coordinator Raquel Strubhart, a total of 19 car seats were inspected and none were installed correctly. Four of  the 19 were outdated by several years and replaced. Interpreters for Spanish-speaking clients were available and hospital volunteers also assisted at the car seat check. According to statistics, motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children and 80 percent of children riding in safety seats are at risk. Another car seat check is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 at the Breese Legion.