A properly installed child safety seat is your best line of defense to protect your child in the car. But you might be surprised to learn that four out of five safety seats are not properly installed.

Beginning Saturday, Oct. 8, Safe Kids Coulee Region, in partnership with La Crosse County Health Department, is offering free car seat safety checks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fire Station #3 , 1710 Losey Blvd., La Crosse.

Bring the entire family and have all of your children’s car seats checked. Ideally, children should be present to properly fit them into their car seats, but expectant parents and grandparents who use car seats are also welcome. Certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect your child’s car seat and its installation, and will teach you to use your seat correctly. Please bring your car seat’s manual, if available. Also learn more about when to transition your child to a booster seat, how booster seats are used to make seat belts fit kids properly and why the back seat is the safest place for children to ride.

There will be monthly events held on the second Saturday from October through March at the same time and location. These are the only free community child seat safety check events in our area over winter. When the weather is chilly, seats will be checked indoors.

If you have any questions email Maggie or visit our Car Seat Checks page.