Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department will partner with other agencies during Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Week (September 13-19) to offer free car seat checks to the community.

The main goal for child passenger safety is to make sure that all parents and caregivers are correctly using the right restraint for their children's ages and sizes.

MFRD and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in conjunction with Safe Kids Cumberland Valley will be at MFRD's Station 9 (802 Cason Lane) on Thursday, September 17 from 1:00-4:00 pm. These agencies will also co-host a car seat check event with Murfreesboro Police Department and the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, September 19 which is actually "National Seat Check Saturday" from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Toys R Us located at 2075 Old Fort Parkway.

These agencies will have several certified Child Safety Seat Technicians on-hand to provide education on how to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for children. Technicians can also educate consumers on selecting the right car seat for their child, the importance of registering the seats with the manufacturer, and what to expect if the seat is subject to a safety recall.

"Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children," said MFRD Assistant Fire Marshal and Child Safety Seat Coordinator Carl Peas. "When used correctly, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars and 58 percent and 59 percent respectively in light trucks."

Peas continued, "A lot of parents come to these events thinking they have installed their child's car seat correctly, when in fact upwards of 59 percent of seats checked are not installed correctly."

If you are unable to make either one of the events during CPS Week, you may contact MFRD Administration Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm at 615-893-1422 to set up an appointment to have your seat checked or visit www.murfreesborotn.gov/childsafetyseat for more information.