BELLEFONTE — Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Program will host a car sear collection on Friday, Sept. 13. The aim of the collection is to gather expired, damaged or unsafe car seats to ensure that they are properly disposed of.
The collection will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Centre County PennDOT Maintenance Headquarters, 1000 E. Bishop St. in Bellefonte.
In Pennsylvania, child passenger safety laws include:
- Birth to 2 years old — Rear-facing car seat until child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designed by the car seat manufacturer
- Birth to 4 years old — Must be restrained in an approved child car seat
- 4 to 8 years old — Must be restrained in an approved booster seat
- 8 years old and up — Must use a seatbelt
According to PennDOT, car crashes are the leading cause of death in children, with 40% of children who died in crashes in 2021 recorded as riding unrestrained in a vehicle. However, 83% of children under 4 who did not get an injury during a car crash were restrained in a car seat.
Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated there are misuses in 46% of all car seat installations, noting that car seats minimize risk of fatal injury by 71% in infants and 54% for toddlers when properly installed and used.
The first 20 families to bring in an unsafe car seat to the collection event on Friday, Sept. 13, will receive a coupon for a free 10-inch cheese pizza from Pizza Mia.
