Car Seat Safety

It is the law in Florida that all babies must be restrained in a car seat when riding in a car; however, four out of five car seats are installed incorrectly! Improperly installed car seats can result in serious injury to your baby even death. Babies from birth must ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of your vehicle until they are two years of age AND 35 lbs. Be careful if considering a used car seat: they may be damaged, expired, recalled or not meet current safety standards. To check on recalls, contact the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888- 327-4236 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS).

St. Johns County is fortunate to have Project Buckle Up and nationally-certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians to assist with installation and inspection of child safety seats; call (904) 209-2250 x4636 for an appointment to have your car seat inspected before your baby's birth. Car seats are also available for purchase from Project Buckle Up for St. Johns County residents for $40. ($20. if the parent receives WIC, food stamps, Medicaid or Florida KidCare). A representative from Project Buckle Up reviews car seat safety whenever a group discharge class is held.

Please make arrangements to have a car seat ready for your baby's ride home from the hospital.