Is Your Child’s Car Seat Installed Correctly?

CTDOT Hosts Free Car Seat Checks Across Connecticut ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Web Version     Is Your Child’s Car Seat Installed Correctly? CTDOT Hosts Free Car Seat Checks Across Connecticut Posted on September 17 , 2026 The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is partnering with communities across the state to provide free car seat check-ups in recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week, September 20-26, 2026. Parents, guardians, and caregivers are encouraged to attend one of these free events to receive hands-on guidance from certified passenger safety technicians.  Properly securing a child in the right car seat can make a critical difference in the event of a crash. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 677 children were killed in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles in 2024, and over 127,000 were injured. Of that, nearly 40% of children who died were unrestrained. In Connecticut in 2024, 47 children under 13 years old were unrestrained and injured in a crash. “Making sure our youngest passengers stay safe must be a top priority on every trip,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Laoise King. “Child Passenger Safety Week gives families the opportunity to have their car seats checked by trained professionals, who can provide answers to questions about installation and fit. Taking a few minutes to make sure a child is properly secured can help prevent serious injuries and save lives.” NHTSA also found that while most parents believe they are correctly installing their car seats, about half (46%) are not. Common mistakes include using the wrong type of car seat for the child’s age and size and improper installation, both of which can leave children vulnerable in the event of a crash. Properly used car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars. At each free event, certified child passenger safety technicians will provide personalized guidance to parents, guardians, and caregivers. Technicians will check whether the car seat is appropriate for the child’s age and size, review the installation, and demonstrate how to use the seat properly. Families will also be reminded to register their car seats with the manufacturer to receive important recall notifications. Child Passenger Safety Week Events: Sunday, September 20, 2026, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | RESIDENTS ONLY Norwalk Police will be at Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk To book your free appointment, please email Officer Wasilewski at cwasilewski@norwalkct.gov, or Officer Nieves at dnieves@norwalkct.gov Monday, September 21, 2026, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Canton Police Department, 51 River Rd., Canton To book your free appointment, call Officer Gerrity at 860-693-0221. Drop-ins are also welcome. Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. | APPOINTMENT ONLY Griffin Hospital, Griffin Health Community Outreach parking lot, 4 Mountain St., Derby To book your free appointment, please email Cathi Kellett at ckellett@griffinhealth.org Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Groton Ambulance will be at the Groton Library, 52 Newtown Rd., Groton To book your free appointment, please email Kelsey Gomes at carseatcheck@grotonambulance.com Friday, September 25, 2026, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. West Hartford Police will be at the Montessori School of Greater Hartford, 139 North Main St., West Hartford To book your free appointment, please email Officer Riger at lrieger@westhartfordct.gov or Officer Stebbins at kstebbins@westhartfordct.gov Friday, September 25, 2026, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Shaker Pines Fire Department will be at the Enfield Public Library, 104 Middle Rd., Enfield To book your free appointment, please email Deputy Fire Chief Kara at jkara@spfd.net Saturday, September 26, 2026, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Yale New Haven Health’s car seat clinic will be held in the Raymour & Flanigan parking lot, 538 Boston Post Rd., Orange. To book your free appointment, please email monica.lucas@ynhh.org   Saturday, September 26, 2026, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Middletown Fire Department, 169 Cross St., Middletown To book your free appointment, please email tiffany.france821@gmail.com Saturday, September 26, 2026, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. New Milford / Brookfield Police Departments will be at Faith Church, 600 Danbury Rd., New Milford To book your free appointment, please email Patrolman Heller at mheller@brookfieldct.gov All events are free and open to the public, but appointments must be made in advance where indicated. To learn more about car seat safety, watch how-to videos, and sign up for car seat recall notifications, visit nhtsa.gov/therightseat. Connecticut Department of Transportation 2800 Berlin Turnpike P.O. Box 317546 Newington, CT 06131-7546 860-594-2000 Twitter You're receiving this email because you opted in to receive notices from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Edit your subscription Unsubscribe instantly