Safe Kids Urges Parents to Protect Their Little Loved Ones
FORT COLLINS, CO – This Valentine’s Day, Safe Kids Larimer County wants parents and care givers to show how much they love their little ones by protecting them while traveling in motor vehicles.
In partnership with the Colorado State Patrol, Safe Kids and other local public safety agencies are hosting a special “get dumped” event on Friday, February 12th at 10:00 a.m. Parents and care givers with unsafe, expired or defective child safety car seats are invited to bring them to the Colorado State Patrol Office, 3832 S. I-25 Fort Collins, and add them to the “dump pile” anytime from today until 10:00 a.m. on February 12th. The Colorado Children’s Automobile Safety Association (CCASA) is providing car seat recycling services for the event. In addition, Safe Kids and CCASA will be collecting old cell phones for recycle, as a fundraiser to purchase new car seats for needy families in our community.
Individuals may also call the Safe Kids office at 970.495.7504 or visit for a listing of resources in Larimer County to have their existing car seat professionally inspected to determine whether or not it is safe to use and to ensure it is installed properly in the vehicle.
More than 30 unsafe seats will be dumped to illustrate that some seats pose a serious safety hazard for small children and infants. Many of the seats have been recalled, have missing parts, have been in a crash, or are too old. These particular seats have been collected at car seat check-ups and from the community at large throughout last year.
Captain Rob Marone of the Colorado State Patrol says, "We are destroying these seats to make sure that they will never be used again. Many times parents are not aware of the dangers of car seats that have been purchased secondhand, are too old or have been given to them by a friend. In a crash, a child restrained incorrectly or who is placed in an unsafe seat is 3 ½ times more likely to be seriously injured than a child who is properly restrained in a safe seat.”
Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk for death and injury among child occupants of motor vehicles. In Larimer County, motor vehicle crashes are the second leading cause of trauma hospitalizations for children ages birth to 14 years old. When used correctly, child safety seats and safety belts are extremely effective and can reduce the risk of death by up to 71%.
Safe Kids Larimer County
Safe Kids Larimer County, led by Poudre Valley Health System, is a partnership of health care providers, government agencies, civic clubs, law enforcement, and private and public organizations committed to preventing accidental injuries in children ages birth to 14 years old. We are part of the Safe Kids Worldwide, made up of over 450 coaltions nationwide.