N.B. police will offer car seat inspections
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - Although no price can be put on the safety of a child, the state has awarded the township police department with a $7,000 grant to educate motorists on proper car seat handling.

The Child Safety and Child Booster Seat Incentive grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety will enable police officers to visit various locations throughout the township over the next two months to hold car seat inspections.

"This grant gives us the opportunity to meet with many parents, soon to be parents, as well as many grandparents, along with civic groups to discuss the importance of child safety seats. This grant is one of the most rewarding grants we receive from the Division of Highway," said Lt. William Kloos of the North Brunswick Traffic Enforcement Bureau.

New Jersey adopted a law mandating that children up to age 8 or 80 pounds must ride in a safety booster seat in the rear seat of a vehicle. If there is no rear seat, the child must sit in the front seat secured by a child safety seat or booster seat. Children under age 8 who weigh more than 80 pounds must wear a seat belt anywhere in the vehicle. Children spotted not wearing a seat belt or infants seen not riding in a federally approved car seat are currently cause for a motorist being stopped as a primary offense.

To avoid this, North Brunswick became one of the first municipalities in the state to have certified car seat inspectors, and the township currently has four car seat technicians. Each technician has said they enjoy the interaction with the public and how much the public learns from the instructional periods, according to Kloos.

"We will continue to have this service available as long as there's a need for it," Police Director Kenneth McCormick said.

The first car seat inspection was held Saturday in the ShopRite parking lot on Renaissance Boulevard, where the technicians inspected roughly 20 seats. This Saturday they will be at the Brunswick Shopping Center on Georges Road from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Other checkpoints are being scheduled and will be posted on the township's Web page at www.northbrunswickonline.com as well as on Cable Channel 15.

In addition, the department will continue to check car seats on Thursdays at the police station at 710 Hermann Road between noon and 4 p.m. For further information on scheduling a car seat check, call Kloos at (732) 247-0922, ext. 320.