The Buckle Up! Program, a car seat safety course, returns to the Ypsilanti Fire Department from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15.

C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Buckle Up! Program has been around for many years in various forms. The program was implemented to reduce the number of car crash-related injuries and fatalities among children. This event occurs every 3rd Tuesday of each month at different locations.

During the event, there will be certified child passenger safety technicians and instructors who work one-on-one with families to show them how to properly select a car seat, install it in their vehicle, and safely buckle children in their seats. Registration is required for the event.

Clarissa Santan is a child passenger safety instructor at Mott, and she’s been working with the program for about five years now. A grant from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning allows the program to provide new car seats to qualifying families in need of one.

“The strict requirement to get one is that it has to be a technician that provides the information to the families,” Santan said.

The technicians that are certified are volunteers that come during each segment and teach the car seat safety.

“I’m able to schedule appointments based on the number of volunteers I have,” Santan said. “That’s why we schedule appointments to see as many people as possible.”

The one requirement for the program is that the child or expecting mother must be present at the day of the event. Appointments are approximately 30 minutes per child per seat. To schedule an appointment, call 734-763-2251. For more information about car seat safety, visit umich.edu.

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