September 18, 2015 --
Balloons
tapped to a yellow sign inscribed with the words “car seat check point” caught
the attention of Lisa Johnson’s daughter.
“I
want a balloon,” the youngster said to her mother, a pre-kindergarten teacher
with the Child Development Center at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, as
they walked to their car from the CDC.
The
child was unaware her mother had planned to stop and get her a balloon while
safety officials inspected her car seat.
The
Johnson family received more than a balloon, they learned their car seat had
expired and received a new car seat at the check point hosted by Marine Corps
Community Services.
“The
event was very informative and I did not know car seats expired,” Johnson said.
“I am concerned about her health and safety and it is very important to me
knowing she is in (a new) car seat.
Johnson
added she is comforted knowing her child is protected and that she is happy and
does mind getting in her new seat and strapping up.
Alisha
Enfinger, MCCS’ safety officer and certified child passenger safety technician,
conducted the annual event in recognition of the Child Passenger Safety Week,
Sept. 13-19.
“We
want to keep children safe when they are riding in vehicles,” Enfinger said. “The
purpose of the event is to educate parents and caregivers how to properly
install and use their child safety seats.”
The
car seats are also checked to make sure there are no manufacture recalls and the
seats have not expired, she added.
“There
are actually several reasons why car seats expire such as engineering
improvements and changes to safety regulations,” she said. “But the real reason
is that most car seats are made of plastic and over time the plastic can
fatigue and crack, hampering the seat’s ability to protect children in an
accident.
“Climate
changes and extreme temperatures, like those felt in Albany, can also accelerate
plastic's degradation,” Enfinger added.
During
the inspections, Enfinger found two car seats that expired in December 2012.
Parents
and caregivers do not have to wait for the annual event to have their child
safety seats checked.
For
more information or to make an appointment, call 229-639-7050.