Immediate Release

Injury Prevention Center at Parkland gives Texans a boost Safety seat inspections offered to help parents comply with new law

DALLAS - Child safety seat inspections are being conducted by the staff of the Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas, thanks to a generous grant from the Texas Department of Transportation and the Department of State Health Services. As of Sept. 1, a new state law requires children younger than 8 or 4-feet-9-inches tall to ride properly restrained in a child safety seat. "Using a seat belt alone can cause serious internal injuries to a child during a crash," explained Shelli Stephens Stidham, director of the Injury Prevention Center. Children who begin using a safety belt before the belt fits them properly are four times more likely to suffer serious head injuries during a car crash than children riding in child safety seats (including booster seats), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During a safety seat inspection, certified Child Passenger Safety technicians teach parents/guardians how to correctly install a child safety seat and provide information on current child passenger safety laws. Each family will be eligible to receive up to two child safety seats if their current seats are inappropriate for the children's height and weight or have been recalled. The child must be present at the inspection and all inspections are free of charge. These child safety seat inspections will be held by appointment only from 3 to 6 p.m., Sept. 15 at Parkland's Simmons Ambulatory Surgery Center, 4900 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas and on a first-come, first-served basis from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 17 at Sam's Club, 8282 Park Lane, Dallas. When used properly, a booster seat can reduce the risk of injury by 59 percent compared to the use of a seat belt alone and reduce the cost of health care in Texas by more than $17 million, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information on child passenger safety seat inspections or to schedule an appointment, please call 214.590.4455. The IPC staff works to prevent injuries through community collaboration, education and evaluation. Housed at Parkland Health & Hospital System, the IPC is jointly funded by Parkland, Baylor Healthcare System, Texas Health Resources, Children's Medical Center of Dallas and Methodist Hospitals of Dallas.

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For Further Information Contact: Charise Thomason 214.590.8054