KPD offers free car seat safety checks in Līhue this month

Families in Līhue will be able to get free car seat safety checks later this month at the Walmart parking lot, where certified technicians will inspect child seats and show caregivers how to install them correctly. The Kaua‘i Police Department, Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance and the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation will co-host the twice-monthly service on June 13 and June 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., with no appointment required.

The checks are meant to catch the kinds of mistakes that can leave children vulnerable in a collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says about 46% of parents and caregivers who believe they know how to install a car seat correctly have actually installed it incorrectly. NHTSA also cites a 2011 nationally representative study that found 46% of car seats and booster seats had at least one major error.

Chief Rudy Tai said the department wants families to take advantage of the service, which will include free inspections, answers to questions and demonstrations on proper use. KPD officers will also be on hand to talk story with the community and share child passenger safety information. The department said the effort is especially important on Kaua‘i, where many households rely on a limited number of vehicles for school runs, work commutes, medical appointments and errands, making even a small seat installation mistake a serious risk.

The campaign also carries a broader safety message for parents and guardians who are unsure whether a child has outgrown a seat or is riding correctly. NHTSA advises families to choose a seat based on a child’s age and size, keep children in the back seat at least through age 12, and register car seats and booster seats for recall alerts. Those rules matter because the right seat, used the right way, can sharply improve crash protection for young passengers.

For families who want more information, KPD listed contacts for the event: Kaiu Anderson at bethmarie.k.anderson@courts.hawaii.gov, Leah Ho at leah@kauainetwork.org and Sergeant Shawn Hanna at shanna@kauai.gov. Tai, who was sworn in as KPD’s 9th chief of police on March 9 and formally took command in a March 30 change-of-command ceremony, has made public safety outreach part of the department’s early push under his leadership.