Maui police remind public to buckle up, install child safety seats correctly

The Maui Police Department hosts a child safety seat inspection event Saturday to ensure keiki are properly secured, and drivers follow proper seat installation.

The event takes place May 27, 2023, from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Maui Marketplace parking lot.

This free, no-obligation inspection is intended to ensure seats are correctly installed and functioning properly to keep children safe in the event of a crash.

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be on-site to perform inspections and will be available to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of properly securing children in their vehicles. In addition, attendees can receive hands-on demonstrations and tips on child safety seat installation and usage.

In June 2022, the State of Hawai’i updated the Child Passenger Restraint Law. The law requires the following:

• If the child is under two years of age, the child must be properly restrained in a rear-facing car seat with a harness.
• If a child is between two and four years old, the child must be properly restrained in a rear-facing or forward-facing car seat with a harness.
• If a child is between four and nine years old, the child must be properly restrained in a child passenger restraint or booster seat.
• If the child is between seven and nine years old and is 4 feet 9 inches in height, they are exempt from riding in a child passenger restraint but must be restrained by a lap and shoulder seat belt assembly.

No appointment is necessary. For more information, contact the Maui Police Department Traffic Section at 808-244-6347. For more information on child passenger safety, please visit the Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition website at kipchawaii.org.