RARITAN – The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and Raritan Police Department will be offering free child safety seat checks on Monday, Aug. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Washington School parking lot on First Avenue .

Parents and guardians are welcome to drive their vehicles into the parking lot and have a certified child safety seat technician check the seat to see if it is properly installed going into the new school year.

“It’s the responsibility of every parent and caregiver to ensure that their children are properly restrained – every ride, every time,” said Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano. “When it comes to the safety of a child, there’s no room for mistakes. Taking the time to learn more about how to protect your children in a vehicle can be a life-saving lesson.”

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Association, in 2007 approximately 358 children under the age of five avoided fatal injuries in a car crash because they were properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. If all children under the age of five had been properly restrained, an additional 71 children would have been saved.

“To protect our children, the Raritan Police Department has teamed up with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office to bring residents this great opportunity to have their child safety seats inspected,” said Raritan Police Chief Mark Ciesla. “The safety of our children is vital and having your child's car safety seat checked doesn't take much time but it could make a big difference in the event of a crash.”

For more information, contact Sgt. Mary Hayes of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office Child Safety Seat Unit at (908) 231-7187.