Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 is National Child Health Day, a day each year for the nation to direct their attention toward the health and well being of children. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Office of Women’s and Children’s Health, in conjunction with county health departments of Maricopa, Coconino, Apache, Gila, Yavapai, Cochise, Pinal, LaPaz, and Yuma counties are focusing their efforts this Child Health Day on promoting car seat safety.

“98% of car seats we see at local car seat safety checks have some type of misuse,” says Tomi St. Mars, RN, ADHS Injury Prevention Program Manager. “Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death and injury of all Arizona children; half of those children are not restrained, and the other half are inappropriately restrained.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration all children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians from fire departments and police departments, county health departments, and Safe Kids coalitions will conduct car seat inspections beginning Oct. 1 and throughout the month, statewide as follows:

Saturday, Oct. 1
Annual Wal-Mart Safety Fair
Wal-Mart Parking lot
Globe/Miami/Claypool in Gila County

Monday, Oct. 3
Florence Fire Department
72 E 1 st Street, Florence, Arizona
9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Contact: Jessica Tapia, 520-866-7955

Monday, Oct. 3
Gilbert Fire Department
By appointment
Contact: Jean Machnicki, 480 503-6350

Monday, Oct. 3
Peoria Fire Department
Contact: Mike Tellef, 623-773-7276

Monday, Oct. 3
Wal-Mart
8200 W. Peoria Ave, Peoria, Arizona
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Monday, Oct. 3
Maricopa County Public Health
Phoenix Ranch Market
1602 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix, Arizona
Contact: Zoraida Ettrick, 602-506-0405

Monday, Oct. 3
Mesa Fire Department
By appointment
Contact: Deena Barbara, 480-644-2200

Monday, Oct. 3
Sedona Fire District, Station 1
12860 Southwest Drive, Sedona, Arizona
Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 3
Cochise Co. Health Dept
450 S. Haskell, Wilcox, Arizona
Contact: Beverly Eskue, 520-384-7102

Saturday, Oct. 8
Summit Fire Station #32
8905 Koch Field Road, Flagstaff, Arizona
10:00 a.m. to noon

Friday, Oct. 28
Springerville Fire Department
23 South Papago, Springerville, Arizona