Police offer child seat safety inspections Saturday

By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
   Manville police are hosting a free child passenger seat inspection for borough residents from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rhythms of the Night parking lot, on South Main Street, Saturday.
   According to Chief Mark Peltack, the inspection will be conducted by Sgt. Jeffrey Petrone and Patrolman Greg Jeremiah, both of whom were certified by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety to perform the inspections after taking a 32-hour course that teaches officers about installation and possible problems with the seats.
   The inspections are being performed through a grant from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, and do not require appointments throughout the four hours.
   Chief Peltack said if residents cannot attend the inspections Saturday, they can call the police department to make an appointment for a different time.
   In May, Chief Peltack said, the department held a similar inspection, and 30 residents participated.
   Of the 30, he said seven seats were taken out of service because they were either out-of-date or defective.
   According to studies by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, nearly 80 percent of child safety seats are either improperly setup or secured, a contributing factor the number of children injured in auto accidents.