Residents receive free kids’ car seats

Children’s car seats were distributed at a safety event held at the Masonic Lodge. (Jan. 27, 2020) Photo by Zachary Snowdon Smith/The Cordova Times
Children’s car seats were distributed at a safety event held at the Masonic Lodge. (Jan. 27, 2020) Photo by Zachary Snowdon Smith/The Cordova Times

Native Village of Eyak distributed free children’s car seats to residents at a Monday, Jan. 27 event. Car seat technician Jessica Weaver also checked that residents’ car seats were correctly installed.

Alaskans are often unaware of the laws governing car seat installation, Weaver said. For instance, Alaska law mandates that children between the ages of 4-8 who are under 4 feet 9 inches tall and who weigh less than 65 pounds must be secured in a car seat or booster seat. During car seat technician training, Weaver unexpectedly found that she’d been strapping her own child in slightly incorrectly, showing that even safety-conscious parents can still make mistakes.

Car seats distributed at the Jan. 27 event were purchased via a pair of grants from the American Automobile Association and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Indian Highway Safety Program. Three seats were distributed to families at the event, with roughly four additional seats to be distributed in connection with the event.

Weaver performs car seat checks and distributes car seats by appointment. Appointments can be booked by calling NVE at 907-424-7738. More information on car seat safety can be found at carseatsak.org.

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