Child Safety Seat Checks and Installation

Overview

The Boone Fire Department offers free checking and installation of child safety seats in order to provide the utmost care and safety for our youngest citizens! Listed below are the guidelines regarding car seat safety, as written in the North Carolina Child Passenger Safety Laws:

• Children younger than age 8 and who weigh less than 80 pounds must be in a car seat or booster seat.
• Children younger than age 5 and who weigh less than 40 pounds must be in the rear seat.

Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:

• Children should be rear facing as long as possible, at least until age 2.
• Younger children are safer when rear-facing.
• When your child reaches the weight limit for rear-facing they should be moved to a forward facing seat that uses a harness system. 
  • Keep your child in the forward facing seat with a harness until they are big enough and mature enough to ride in a booster seat with the seat belt fitting correctly.
• When using a booster seat the seat belt should lay across the hips (not belly) and at the collar bone. Use the booster seat until your child can sit on the vehicle seat with the seat belt at the correct body position.
• It is recommended that children ride in the rear seat until age 12.

Appointments

If you would like to have your child's safety seat checked and/or installed, an appointment is necessary. The Boone Fire Department is available for car seat checks and installation every Tuesday morning from 9:00am to 12:00pm and every Thursday morning from 1:00pm tp 5:00pm. To make an appointment, please contact the Boone Fire Department at (828) 268-6180.