Hospital to Offer Car Safety-Seat Program

St. John’s Regional Medical Center will offer an infant car seat safety program Aug. 20 as part of its community outreach to stop preventable injuries and deaths.

Child safety seats are used improperly 90% of the time, according to the California Highway Patrol.

“The biggest problem is that we find children in the safety seat who are not strapped in,” CHP Officer Pete Barrera said.

“And if they are strapped in, they’re not strapped in properly.”

The CHP has also often found that the seat itself is not properly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, Barrera said.

The CHP obtained a $1.3-million grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety in August 1995 and has since provided 132 infant care-seat safety clinics throughout California.

“If a safety seat is appropriately used, it can increase the chances of surviving a fatal accident by 71%, and is 67% effective in preventing serious injuries,” Barrera said.

Infant car seats will be available at a discounted rate of $50 for those who attend the free program.

“Our children are the most precious cargo we have and we need to be aware of how to protect them,” he said.

The safety-seat program will be held at St. John’s Healthy Beginnings Center, 1600 N. Rose Ave., Oxnard, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Preregistration by Monday is required. Call 988-2619 for reservations.