TPD hosting booster seat giveaways
1,000 free booster seats will be given away to parents with children 5 years of age or younger Saturday at various Tucson Police Department substations.
Tucson Medical Center, Safe Kids Tucson and Tucson Police Department are hosting a city-wide booster seat giveaway as part of their “Booster Seat Bash” campaign. A recent state law requires children 5-8 years old who are 4’9” or shorter to be fastened in a booster seat.
Boosters seats will be given out in a first-come, first-served basis at three police substations: Santa Cruz Substation, 4410 S. Park Ave.; Rincon Substation, 9670 E. Golf Links Rd.; and the Westside Service Center, 1310 W. Miracle Mile.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death and injuries for children under 14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Seat belts usually don’t rest at the hard contact points on children’s hip bones, sternum and shoulders, said TMC community outreach specialist Yamaira Diaz in a press release.
“To make the seat belts more comfortable, kids might slouch down into the seat, or they might put the seat belt under their arm, instead of over the shoulder,” said Diaz, a coordinator for Safe Kids Tucson. “If they’re in an accident, they’ll fold over like a taco.”
Diaz wants parents to have a visual picture since children can get whiplash and internal injuries, she said.
Parents who are unable to attend can make arrangements for a booster seat by calling the Desert Kids Safety Program at 324-5604.
