Mayo Clinic Will Provide Free Car Seat Inspections Oct. 25

Friday, October 20, 2006

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic will provide free car seat safety inspections, by appointment only, for the Rochester community on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006 from 2 to 4 p.m. Inspections will be held at Rochester Fire Station #4, 1875 41st Street N.W. To ensure that everyone will be accommodated, participants must schedule an appointment by calling Sharon Munns, Mayo Clinic Trauma Center injury prevention coordinator, at 507-255-5066.

"Studies indicate more than 85 percent of children are improperly restrained in their car seat or booster seat. Our goal is to prevent injuries for children by educating parents about child passenger safety," says Munns. During the inspection, Mayo Clinic staff will thoroughly evaluate each car seat to ensure it is installed properly and meets safety recommendations. Children must be present for accurate inspection of the child restraint.

General passenger safety tips for children include:

When properly installed, child safety seats reduce the number of fatal injuries by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. However, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 14.

"Many families stop using car seats too soon. It's very important to use a car seat and later a booster seat that is appropriate for your child's height and weight," says Munns. For more information about car seat inspections, call 507-255-5066.

###

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.