By: Anna Clark

There will be a free child safety seat inspection on Sunday, Sept. 13 conducted by Athens-Clarke County Police Department and Safe Kids Athens to kick off the beginning of nationwide Child Passenger Safety Week.

Certified technicians will be checking child car seats and booster seats to make sure your children are safe while you’re driving.

ACCPD Traffic Lieutenant Don Eckert says incorrect car seat installation is a nationwide problem, which is why he holds these inspections several times throughout the year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 80 percent of child safety seats are used incorrectly. Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Correctly used car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.

The free inspection will take place from 2-4 p.m. in the front parking lot at Georgia Square Mall in Athens.

Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety provided the facts below.