County to give away child car seats to low-income parents

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The county of San Diego will give away nearly 2,000 child car seats to low-income parents through September, it was announced Friday.

The 1,944 child car seats were paid for with a $245,500 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety’s “Keep ‘Em Safe” program.

“The county is committed to doing all it can to keep children safe,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob. “This program helps low-income parents safeguard their children from injuries and death.”

Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among children ages 1-19 in the U.S., according to the county Health and Human Services Agency. The group Safe Kids Worldwide estimates that 284 children ages 5 and under were saved in 2012 because they were restrained in car seats while riding in a vehicle.

The grant will also fund an education campaign with a goal of increasing the proper use of child car seats and seat belt use, and teaching parents about vehicle safety, including information on air bags and the dangers of leaving children alone in a car.

This is the fifth year the county has received funding through the Keep ‘Em Safe program. Last year, 2,155 child car seats were distributed throughout the region.

Locally, Keep ‘Em Safe will include passenger safety education classes to public health nurses, social and community outreach workers, and public safety officials.

Information about the Keep ‘Em Safe program is available by calling the Pacific Safety Center at (888) 846-4200.