EXTON, Pa., Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI) – the leading provider of automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training – is hosting a car seat inspection event in conjunction with National Seat Check Saturday. Free and open to the public, the event will be held Saturday, September 21 st from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT at UTI's Exton campus in Chester County.
Sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Seat Check Saturday is part of Child Passenger Safety Week, September 15-21, a week dedicated to helping parents and caregivers make sure their children ride as safely as possible every time they are in vehicles. During UTI's event, certified technicians and representatives from the Chester County Sheriff's Department and Safe Kids Chester County Coalition will be onsite to inspect the installation of children's car seats and educate parents about maintaining a safe car seat. UTI will also provide refreshments and activities for kids to enjoy during the inspections, and Walgreens will be onsite to administer pertussis/whooping cough vaccines to children, as well as flu vaccines to adults, for anyone who is interested.
"Road safety is a top priority at UTI, and we're committed to training skilled automotive and diesel technicians to help keep drivers and their families safe on the road," said Bob Kessler, Regional Vice President of Operations and Campus President at UTI-Exton. "We're thrilled to partner with local safety organizations for the second time this year to encourage car seat inspections and promote children's safety in automotive vehicles, and hope to save many lives on this national day of child passenger safety."
The goal of National Seat Check Saturday is to teach caregivers how to properly install and use car seats, as well as ensure children are in the right seats for their ages and sizes. According to the NHTSA, car crashes are the leading cause of death for children up to 12 years of age in the United States. To best protect children in crashes, car seats must be installed properly, but three out of four car seats are not used correctly. Jiggle your child's car seat; if it moves more than one inch at the base, it needs to be tightened. To ensure it is correctly installed, the NHTSA recommends visiting a child passenger safety technician or attending a car seat check event.
NHTSA recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible up to the top height or weight allowed by their particular seats. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, he/she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness. After outgrowing the car seats, children should be placed in booster seats until they're grown enough to use seat belts safely. The safest place for kids under 13 is in the back seat of the car.
Registration for UTI's car seat inspection is encouraged, but not needed. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact the Chester County Sheriff's Department at 610-344-5389.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the leading provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. With more than 170,000 graduates in its 48-year history, UTI offers undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at 11 campuses across the United States, as well as manufacturer-specific training programs at dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, UTI provides specialized post-secondary education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). For more information visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.
SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
