Gila County Car Seat Safety Program

Our goal:
To increase public knowledge of proper child safety seat usage.  Also, to reduce the number of injuries from motor vehicle crashes associated with children, by increasing the correct use of child safety seats.

 What we do:

• Provide parent/caregiver car seat safety education  
• Evaluate car seats for manufacture recalls and updates
• Provide staff training for various agencies that transport children
• Support community wide injury prevention health fairs and other events
• Assist with resources for car seat safety awareness/injury prevention issues
• Operate an educational car seat safety program free to the community

Gila County Car Seat Safety Program
Gila County Injury Prevention provides free car seat checks and a car seat safety program.   Any one is welcome to participate in our car seat safety class, as well as getting your car seat checked at any time for free!
To register for car seat safety class, please call (928)402-8868 or (800)304-4452 Ext. 8868.

Car Seat Safety Program Services:

• FREE Car Seat Safety Inspections and Installation assistance by a certified NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Seat technician. 
• An educational program that teaches the basics about car seat use, correct installation and car seat safety best practices addressing correct safety-belt usage.

Why do we address injury prevention:

• We care about the children in our community
• Nationally 86% of child safety seats are used incorrectly.  
• A correctly used child safety seat can decrease a child's chances of being injured by 70%

Child passenger safety tips:

• Always make sure that every occupant is properly restrained for every ride. It is the law!
• All children ages 13 and under should be properly restrained in a back seat on every ride. There are a variety of safety restraint options for all children, including those with special healthcare needs.
• Use your vehicles owner manual to identify where air bags are located and read the instructions about transporting children safely when air bags are present.
• Any child safety seat must be installed and used according to manufacturer's instructions and vehicle owner manual.
• Infants should ride in rear facing seats as long as possible according to the manufacturer's instructions: a minimum of 12 months old and 20lbs. Best Practice indicates up to 2 years old.
• Children who are at least 12 months old AND weigh between 20 and 40lbs. should be correctly secured in a forward facing child safety seat.  Always use a safety seat tether for optimal protection when available.
• Children over 5 years of age should be correctly secured in a belt positioning booster seat or other appropriate child restraint until the adult lap and safety belts fit correctly.  (Usually about  4’ 9” or 8 years old.)
• Return the product registration card provided for all new child safety seats to the manufacturer to ensure that you will be notified of any recalls. Check www.recalls.gov to inquire about any recalls or safety notices on child safety seats.
• Avoid purchasing safety seats from yard sales, flea markets, and second hand stores or when there is no known history of the seat.

 For more information on this program, please contact:

Chuck Turney
Central Heights Complex
5515 S. Apache Ave Suite 100
Globe, AZ 85501
cturney@gilacountyaz.gov
Globe: (928)402-8868  
Outside of Globe area: 800-304-4452  Ext.8868

Gila County Injury Prevention