Beasley-Allen Law Firm will sponsor a free event for parents and child caregivers in Selma on Saturday, Sept. 24, to ensure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles.

Beasley-Allen representative Helen Taylor said the event, which is called Seat Check Saturday, is part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, an annual event presented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Selma Mayor George Evans officially declared the week of Sept. 18 to Sept. 24 as Child Passenger Safety Week in Selma, to coincide with the national event. Seat Check Saturday will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in Selma at the Walmart Super Center.

Taylor said the event is important because people often do not have the safety seats they need, or do not have them properly installed.

To combat this problem, Taylor said demonstrations will be given.

“We’ll have it like a drive through with inspectors who are all certified with public health,” she said. “They’ll go in and if someone comes up with a car seat they want inspected they will look at it and adjust it. They’ll also show the parent or caregiver how to properly install it and adjust it as the child grows.”

Every year, Taylor said thousands of children are tragically injured or killed in automobile crashes. For children ages 3-6, and 8-14, it is the leading cause of death.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring the use of safety seats, booster seats and seat belts for children traveling in motor vehicles. But these restraints cannot work if they are not installed properly. Currently, statistics report three out of every four child restraints are not properly used.

“We are committed to working closely with our partners and safety advocates to help reduce the number of young lives lost on our roadways,” Beasley Allen attorney LaBarron Boone said. “Our goal is to educate parents about vehicle and product safety.  Even though this campaign is about child restraints, the large issue is product safety.”

Taylor said the firm is also working to provide car safety seats for families on government assistance. She asked that anyone in need of a car seat call the firm.

Seat Check Saturday will be presented in conjunction with Safe Kids USA, which will provide safety technicians to install and check seats and the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The event is free, but space is limited, so people are asked to call to reserve a time to have your car seats inspected. For more information, call Taylor at 1-800-898-2034 or by e-mail helen.taylor@beasleyallen.com.

Beasley-Allen Law Firm will sponsor a free event for parents and child caregivers in Selma on Saturday, Sept. 24, to ensure their child safety seats are properly installed in their vehicles.

Beasley-Allen representative Helen Taylor said the event, which is called Seat Check Saturday, is part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, an annual event presented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.