Marian Regional Medical Center to Host Free Child Safety Seat Check on Saturday

SANTA MARIA, CA – September 26, 2023 – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 46% of child car seats and booster seats are installed incorrectly.

To help ensure parents and caretakers have properly installed their child car seats, Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) is hosting a free child seat safety check event on Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the MRMC campus at 1400 East Church Street in Santa Maria.

Caretakers who transport children by vehicle are encouraged to attend the event to learn how to properly secure a child’s seat in a vehicle.

The vehicle and car seat must be present to be checked. It is recommended that the child is present, though it is not required. No appointment is necessary.

In partnership with the California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County SafeKids, Herencia Indigena, Cottage Children’s Medical Center, and CommUnify, child safety seat experts will inspect individual safety seats and demonstrate proper installation. 

Under California law, children under two years of age are required to ride in a rear-facing child safety seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

Additionally, children are required to use a booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall. Children should be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat. 

The seat check event will emphasize the importance of understanding vehicle restraint laws and ensuring all children riding in a car are properly secured.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level II trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades ® for three consecutive years. It has also been recognized as a 2023 Coronary Intervention Excellent Award recipient by Healthgrades ®.

Marian Regional Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, comprise Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/marianregional.