BOISE–A car seat is the most important seat a child will ever sit in. National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 17- 23) is right around the corner and a great time to make sure your child’s car seat fits. The Idaho Office of Highway Safety (OHS) has partnered with organizations around the state for Child Passenger Safety Week and National Seat Check Saturday on Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Last year in Idaho there were 1,943 crashes involving a child passenger between 0-6 years old. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States.
“We all want to protect our kids as best we can, but car seats can be complicated even for experienced parents or caregivers,” said Carma McKinnon, State Child Passenger Safety Coordinator. “Seat Check Saturday is an opportunity to get free help from an expert, to ensure our little ones are as safe as possible.”
At these seat check events, certified child passenger safety technicians will check if a car seat is the right type for a child’s age and size, check that it fits correctly, and that it is properly installed in the vehicle.
Across Idaho, there are many free seat check events coming up on Seat Check Saturday and beyond:
| Host | Location | Address | City | Date | Time |
| St. Luke’s Pediatric Edu & Injury Prevention Program | Tomlinson South Meridian YMCA | 5155 S Hillsdale Ave. | Meridian | 9/23/2023 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Caldwell PD and Saint Alphonsus | Treasure Valley Community College | 205 S. 6th Ave. | Caldwell | 9/23/2023 | 9 am – 1 pm |
| Thrive Pediatrics | Thrive Pediatrics | 4470 N. Penngrove Way, Ste. 210 | Meridian | 9/30/2023 | 9 am – 1 pm |
| Malad | Hospital – Nell Redfield | 150 200 W | Malad City | 9/22/2023 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Soda springs | Caribou County Sheriff’s Office | 475 E 2nd S | Soda Springs | 9/16/2023 | 10 am – 3 pm |
| Blackfoot PD | Blackfoot Police Station | 501 N Maple St. | Blackfoot | 9/21/2023 | 2 – 5 pm |
| Pocatello PD | Pocatello Police Station | 911 N 7th Ave | Pocatello | 9/23/2023 | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Rexburg Police Department | Madison Memorial | Porter Park | Rexburg | 9/16/2023 | 10 am – 3 pm |
| Grease Monkey, Little Defenders and Idaho State Police, Idaho Community Hosp. | Grease Monkey | 2100 Channing Way | Idaho Falls | 9/23/2023 | 11 am-2 pm |
| Teton Valley | Broulims Parking Lot | 240 S Main St. | Driggs | 10/7/2023 | 11 am-1 pm |
| Steele Memorial | Steel Memorial | 203 Daisy St | Salmon | 9/23/2023 | 10 am – 1 pm |
| Nampa PD | Nampa PD | 820 2nd St S | Nampa | 9/21/2023 | 1 pm – 3 pm |
| Lapwai Health, Safe Start, Buckle Up for Life, Smith-Barbieri, Steele-Reese Found, Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation | Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center | 504 N. Main St | Lapwai | 9/23/2023 | 10 am-1 pm |
| REO Safety Event | St. Mary’s Health | 701 Lewiston St. | Cottonwood | 9/18/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
| REO Safety Event | Riverside Housing Playground | Appaloosa Drive | Kamiah | 9/19/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
| REO Safety Event | Orofino City Park | 155 Wisconsin St. | Orofino | 9/22/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
| REO Safety Event | Cup of Grace | 31848 N 4th Ave | Spirit Lake | 9/26/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
| REO Safety Event | The Library | 601 N. Main St. | Clarkfork | 9/27/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
| REO Safety Event | South Boundary Fire District | 20 Stagecoach Rd. | Naples | 10/7/2023 | Book Your Class with Safe Start (setmore.com) |
For more information about child passenger safety and a map of year-round seat check locations visit https://shift-idaho.org/child-passenger-safety/.