NMDOT News:SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is sponsoring child safety seat clinics statewide 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 24. The clinics are free to the public.
Clinics Across The State:
- Alamogordo: Alamogordo Police Department, 700 Virginia Ave.;
- Albuquerque North: Kohl’s, 6800 Holly Ave. NE;
- Albuquerque West: Kohl’s, 3715 Ellison Dr. NW;
- Albuquerque East: Home Depot, 200 Eubank Blvd. SE;
- Artesia: Wal-Mart, 604 North 26th St.;
- Las Cruces: Kohl’s, 2500 North Triviz Dr.; and
- Las Vegas: Cornerstone Church, 2207 7th St.
“These statewide child safety seat clinics can reduce traffic injuries and fatalities on our roads,” NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Tom Church said. “Safety and customer service are at the core of NMDOT’s values and giving parents the opportunity to work with safety experts can save lives. I’m proud to work with our partners to make New Mexico roads safer for children.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, child safety seats reduce fatalities by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers (children 1 to 4 years of age) in passenger cars.
In 2013, 263 children under age 5 were saved by use of proper restraints and an additional 56 could have been saved with universal use of child safety seats. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that booster seats reduce the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children aged 4-8 compared to just seatbelt use alone.
At the safety seat events, parents and caregivers will have access to personal instruction from Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on the proper installation and use of their child safety seats. It is estimated that three out of four child safety seats are not used correctly.
The clinics are a public service provided by the NMDOT’s Traffic Safety Division and Safer New Mexico Now. Kohl’s Department Stores are partnering with the NMDOT through the Kohl’s Cares Community Outreach Program.
Certain locations are by appointment only, please contact (800).231.6145 or for information about the statewide child safety seat clinics or view the locations online at: http://www.safernm.org/calendar.aspx
Please contact the NMDOT Communications Director, Emilee Cantrell, at (505).469.8243 or Safer New Mexico Now at (505).856.6143 for more information.
