WHAT

The Tom Sargent Safety Center at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, in partnership with Kohl’s and ACTS Oregon, is launching a yearlong car seat outreach program to help reduce the number of children exposed to improper car seat use.

Families are invited to bring their car seats — in the vehicle they use to transport their children — for an inspection. Certified child passenger safety technicians will check the seat for age and size appropriateness, recalls and damage, and will demonstrate how to properly install and use the seat.

“A properly installed car seat reduces the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Yet studies show as many as 73 percent of car seats are incorrectly installed or do not fit the child properly,” said Matthew Gervaths, outreach coordinator for the Tom Sargent Safety Center at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. “The inspection takes about 30 minutes, but the peace of mind lasts far longer.”

Thanks to a generous donation from Kohl’s, replacement car seats may be available to some families (proof of financial assistance, e.g., WIC, Oregon Health Plan, etc. and valid Oregon ID are required).

WHEN

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 9

WHERE

Kohl’s Department Store, 11055 S.W. Canyon Road, Beaverton, OR 97005

DETAILS

Each month, certified child passenger safety technicians will check car seats for correct installation, damage, recalls, and size/age appropriateness. To find out when and where the next car seat check-up is taking place, visit the ACTS Oregon website.