Child car seat safety a top priority

Published on 26 April 2019

Blacktown City Council is at the forefront of combatting illegally restrained child car seats and has already checked more than 380 car seats in 2019.

Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali said Council’s car seat program is a great initiative for the community.

“I cannot stress the importance of making use of this free service,” Mayor Bali said.

“The number of checked car seats is growing but there is still a long way to go.

“A simple stop in your day to double check your car seat is fitted properly will go a very long way in saving a life.”

NSW Police have raised concerns about the number of infringement notices that have been issued in the Blacktown area for children who are either illegally restrained in a car seat or who don’t have a car seat at all. 

To help raise awareness in the community, Council has teamed up with police from the Mt Druitt Highway Patrol to promote the correct use of car seats.

Council holds free car seat checking days for Blacktown residents every 6 weeks throughout the year.

Sergeant Greg Donaldson from Mount Druitt Highway Patrol said it’s easier to attend a free car seat checking day than risking a child’s life and copping a $300 fine.

“The ramifications of not restraining children properly can be fatal.  It is for this reason that the Highway Patrol Police attached to Mt Druitt PAC have a very strict enforcement policy with all seatbelt offences. There are no excuses.”

Karen Preston, a Blacktown grandmother to her seventh grandchild was relieved to have a car seat* professionally installed for the first time.

“I thought I had done it properly but now I can be 100% confident in the seat installation.”

Car seat checking day When: Wednesday, 22 May Time: 08:30 am - 01:30 pm Where: The Ponds Shopping Centre in the underground carpark

For more information contact our Road Safety Officer on 9839 6363 or email [email protected]

*Blacktown City Council and Mt Druitt Police thank Kmart at Mt Druitt for the donation of the car seat and to Complete Car Care in Seven Hills for the installation.

Picture: From left - Karen Preston, Blacktown City Council’s Road Safety Officer Fiona Frost and Sergeant Greg Donaldson with a correctly restrained car seat.