UIS to host free child safety seat check

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Cox Children’s Center has partnered with Secretary of State Jesse White’s Office and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety to host a free child safety seat check as part of UIS Campus Safety Week. The event is open to all students, faculty, employees and community members.

WHEN: Friday, March 4, 2016 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Parking Lot I, located south of The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus.

DETAILS: Certified child passenger safety seat technicians from the Secretary of State’s office, various state agencies and organizations will be educating parents on proper installation procedures and ensuring that child safety seats are properly installed.

According to the Secretary of State, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 14. While child safety seats help prevent death and injury to young children in traffic crashes, statistics show that nearly 80 percent of child safety seats are installed improperly.

Parents and family members living in the Springfield area who are unable to make Friday’s free child safety seat check may call 217/557-5190 to make a future appointment at the Driver Services facility at 316 North Klein Street.

For more information, contact Stacey Gilmore, director of the UIS Cox Children’s Center, at 217/206-6610 or shemb1@uis.edu.