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TUCKAHOE, N.Y. - Tuckahoe Police held a child-seat safety check event on Saturday to give families advice on how to take care of their youngsters while riding in the car.
Tuckahoe Police Officer John Zocchi said that the purpose of holding the safety check, which the police do three times a year, is to make sure that people are buckling up their children properly. Zocchi said that under New York state law, children up to age eight are required to be in some sort of safety seat.
"It's child passenger safety week in New York state so we figured we'd get out into the community," Zocchi said. "No child leaves here unless they are properly restrained. Stats show us that 80 percent of kids are not buckled in properly. Maybe their parents don't know the proper way or don't read the directions which is why we're here to help."
Zocchi said that the movement to keep children up to age eight in child-safety seats gained steam about 10 years ago. He said that previously, many children would just ride in the back seat with no seat belt.
"We'll even help you correct it on scene if need be," Zocchi said. "We're available by appointment and happy to help. In the unfortunate event of a traffic accident we need to ensure that people are not seriously injured or killed."
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