Free car-seat safety checks set for Middletown on April 25

Parents and caregivers who want a second set of eyes on a car seat will be able to get one for free in Middletown, where New York State Police Troop F will host certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The checks will be held at Troop F Headquarters, 55 Crystal Run Road, and officials say the technicians will inspect car seats, confirm that they are installed correctly and answer questions from families. No appointment is required, although advance scheduling is encouraged by calling Troop F Traffic at (845) 344-5327.

For Orange County families, the value is practical and immediate: a loose seat, a misplaced harness or the wrong belt path can turn an everyday errand into a serious risk for a child riding in the back seat. Federal safety guidance underscores why these inspections matter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that correctly used child restraints reduce fatal injury by 71% for infants under 1 year old and by 54% for children ages 1 to 4 in passenger cars.

Mistakes are common enough that even experienced caregivers can benefit from a check. NHTSA says almost half of all car seats are installed incorrectly, a figure that helps explain why free inspection events continue to draw interest from families who travel daily across Orange County and neighboring Hudson Valley communities.

Officials are asking families to bring the child if possible, along with the car-seat manual and the vehicle owner’s manual. That gives the technicians a chance to check the fit of the seat, the angle of the installation and whether the seat is being used in a way that matches both the seat maker’s instructions and the vehicle’s setup.

Troop F, headquartered in Middletown, covers Rockland, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Greene counties. The troop was activated in 1968, and the Middletown stop fits into a broader national child passenger safety effort that includes National Seat Check Saturday during Child Passenger Safety Week.

Troop F Commander Major Christopher M. Kyle, who took command effective March 26, 2026, oversees patrol and investigative operations across those five counties. Trooper Jennifer Alvarez is listed as a public information contact for the event, which gives families another local point of connection for child passenger safety questions.