State Police Inspections Find Most Child Safety Seats Improperly Installed

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Jun 20, 2011, 10:32 ET

Troopers Check Seats as Part of 'Click It or Ticket' Enforcement Effort

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than three-quarters of the 319 child passenger safety seats inspected by state troopers during a two-week enforcement effort were found to be improperly installed, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said today.

"Child passenger safety seat restraint systems save lives, but only when they are used properly," Noonan said. "Our troopers typically find a high percentage of problems with the installation of child safety seats when we offer voluntary inspections. I urge parents to check the child safety seats in their vehicles and seek assistance from the state police if they have questions or concerns."

State police inspected 319 safety seats at 45 locations statewide during a Click It or Ticket campaign that ran from May 23 to June 5. Noonan said troopers found that 246, or about 77 percent, of those seats were improperly installed.

"Common problems included failing to securely anchor the child seat to the vehicle's seat; failing to use the child's seat harness to hold the child in the seat; and facing the car seat in the wrong direction," Noonan said.

Parents can schedule an appointment for an inspection of a child safety seat by calling any state police station. Station inspection dates can be found by going to the Safety Education link at the state police website.

Noonan noted that during the two-week Click It or Ticket enforcement effort, troopers issued 902 seat belt citations and 3,874 seat belt warnings; cited 63 persons for failing to properly restrain a child in a safety seat; and arrested 32 persons for driving under the influence. Citations and warnings were not issued to people who brought their seats to the voluntary inspections.

To learn more about Pennsylvania's seat belt and child safety seat laws, visit www.drivesafepa.org.

For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit www.psp.state.pa.us or call 717-783-5556.

Media contact: Jack J. Lewis, 717-783-5556

Editor's Note: Following is a breakdown, by state police troop area, of the number of safety seat inspections conducted; number of seats found to be improperly installed; and number of seat belt citations issued by troopers during the two-week program:

Troop A (Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties), 12 safety seat inspections; eight safety seats found to be improperly installed; eight seat belt citations issued;
Troop B (Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties), 28 safety seat inspections; 21 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 78 seat belt citations issued;
Troop C (Clarion, Clearfield, Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties), 60 safety seat inspections; 46 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 82 seat belt citations issued;
Troop D (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties), 12 safety seat inspections; 12 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 34 seat belt citations issued;
Troop E (Crawford, Erie, Venango and Warren counties), 53 safety seat inspections; 51 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 37 seat belt citations issued;
Troop F (Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Union and Tioga counties), 11 safety seat inspections; 10 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 87 seat belt citations issued;;
Troop G (Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties), 20 safety seat inspections; 16 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 21 seat belt citations issued;
Troop H (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and York counties), 13 safety seat inspections; three safety seats found to be improperly installed; 29 seat belt citations issued;
Troop J (Chester and Lancaster counties), 20 safety seat inspections; 17 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 22 seat belt citations issued;
Troop K (Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties), 40 safety seat inspections; 22 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 238 seat belt citations issued;
Troop L (Berks, Lebanon and Schuylkill counties), no safety seat inspections; no safety seats found to be improperly installed; 46 seat belt citations issued;
Troop M (Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties), five safety seat inspections; no safety seats found to be improperly installed; eight seat belt citations issued;
Troop N (Carbon, Columbia, Monroe and part of Luzerne counties), 15 safety seat inspections; 13 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 63 seat belt citations issued;
Troop P (Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and part of Luzerne counties), four safety seat inspections; two safety seats found to be improperly installed; 63 seat belt citations issued;
Troop R (Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties), 26 safety seat inspections; 25 safety seats found to be improperly installed; 12 seat belt citations issued;
Troop T (Pennsylvania Turnpike), no safety seat inspections; no safety seats found to be improperly installed; 56 seat belt citations issued;
In addition, 18 seat belt citations were issued by troopers assigned to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.