PennDOT, Pennsylvania State Police and Safety Partners Announce Free Car Seat Checks

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP) are encouraging drivers to take advantage of free car seat checks across the state as the agencies mark National Child Passenger Safety Week (CPSW) from September 17 through September 23. Additionally, Saturday, September 23 has been designated as “National Seat Check Saturday.”

“Seat belts are your best defense in a crash, but they were created for adults,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “It’s important that parents and caregivers take time this week to ensure they are using the right car seat or booster seat for their child’s size and age.”

Car seat checks will be held across the state the week of Child Passenger Safety Week. Visit PA TIPP’s webpage for a list of events.

PSP personnel certified as Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technicians will be conducting free child seat fitting events across the state. Caregivers can have their car seats checked for suitability, receive instruction on the proper installation, have seat(s) installed, learn to properly harness a child in a seat and check seats for recalls. A full list of local free car seat fitting events is available on PSP’s website.

“Properly installed child safety seats save lives, and it’s vital that Pennsylvania’s youngest passengers are safe when traveling,” said PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. “We encourage parents and caregivers to have their seats checked by a certified child passenger seat technician to ensure proper installation.”

According to national statistics, car seats can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers; however,46 percent of car seats and booster seats are installed or used incorrectly. From January through June 2023, PSP members conducted 525 child safety seat inspections and discovered 207 incidents of misuse. PSP completed more than 1,000 checks in both 2021 and 2022 and found misuse rates of up to 40 percent.

To advance their public safety missions, PennDOT and PSP invest in community resources across the state. PennDOT funds resources such as training and educational materials for more than 200 fitting stations across Pennsylvania. In coordination with CPSW and Seat Check Saturday, local police will focus on proper child seat usage during a statewide CIOT Child Passenger Safety enforcement running from September 10 through September 23. In addition, each PSP Troop has designated walk in days where drivers can have their child safety seats checked free of charge year-round.

Pennsylvania’s primary seat belt law requires all occupants younger than 18 to wear a seat belt when riding anywhere in a vehicle. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday.

A secondary law also requires drivers and front-seat passengers 18 or older to buckle up. If motorists are stopped for a traffic violation and are not wearing their seat belt, they can receive a second ticket and second fine.

Because of the potential dangers associated with air bag deployment, children 12 and younger should always ride buckled in a vehicle’s back seat.

“Car seats come in many shapes and sizes. The best way to protect your child is to select the right car seat for their age and size and to use the car seat correctly on every trip,” said PA TIPP Director Angela Osterhuber. “Child passenger safety technicians are available to help parents learn how to keep their children safe and secure in their car seat.”

PA TIPP also offers the following tips:

  • Select a car seat that is right for the child’s age and size.
  • Fill out and return the registration card for your seat so you’ll know if it is recalled because of a problem.
  • Read and follow the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual for information on correctly installing the car seat in the vehicle.
  • Use the car’s seat belt or the LATCH system when installing the car seat.
  • Make sure the car seat’s harness is correctly adjusted and fits snugly.
  • Use a tether strap when installing a forward-facing car seat, following manufacturer’s instructions.

For more information on how to keep passengers safe, or if you are unable to afford a car seat, call 1-800-CAR-BELT or visit www.PAKidsTravelSafe.org to find the nearest car seat loan program. Information on Child Safety Seat Inspection Stations and Community Car Seat Checkup Events is also available on the website.

For a list of state police car seat safety inspection locations and dates, visit the PSP Public Safety webpage.

For more information on child passenger safety, visit PennDOT’s Safety Page.

RailRiders Set PNC Field Safety Protocols for Upcoming Season

With the 2021 season opening early next month, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have set their safety regulations and protocols for fans attending games at PNC Field. These changes have been put in place to help protect everyone at the ballpark this year, from the fans and staff to the players on the field.

“We want our loyal fans to have the best time possible as they return to PNC Field this year, but that truly requires some changes to how we operate for the best interest of everyone involved with making RailRiders baseball happen,” stated John Adams, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s team president. “These protocols and procedure changes are necessary to ensure that our facility remains one of the premier venues in Minor League Baseball. We appreciate the cooperation and understanding from our fans and staff while we ensure that watching a RailRiders game at PNC Field is a safe and enjoyable one.

Most areas of operations at PNC Field have had policies and procedures updated in accordance with state, CDC and Major League Baseball guidelines. This includes:

Ticketing and Seating
Tickets to RailRiders games this season will now be digital. This helps eliminate contact points for fans and employees, increasing safety as your enter PNC Field.

Due to state and CDC guidelines, PNC Field will not open at full capacity at the outset of the season. The RailRiders will incorporate “pod” seating within the ballpark and tickets will be limited based on social distancing guidelines and procedures. Seats in the vicinity of each “pod” will be zip-tied to prevent use and to assist in maintaining proper distancing.

Single-game tickets will be available online only at swbrailriders.com.

Entry and Exit Points
There will be one gate designated for exit from PNC Field to avoid contact with those entering PNC Field. This gate will be located at the Main Gates, but away from the entry gates.

There will be no re-entry allowed into the PNC Field once a guest has exited unless there is a rain delay where fans may exit the stadium during the time of the delay to ensure distancing.

Mask Policy
Major League Baseball has enacted a mask policy for the 2021 season and it applies to teams under its Player Development License. All attendees age two years and older will be required to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth at all times while on the ballpark property other than when actively eating or drinking at their ticketed seats. Exceptions may be made for attendees who cannot wear face coverings for medical reasons and provide written medical verification. These attendees with proper verification will be wristbanded at gate entrances by security for identification purposes.

Cashless Points of Sale
PNC Field will be a fully cashless facility in 2021. This includes all aspects of operation at the ballpark, including parking, ticketing, the SWB Station Team Store and the concession stands and bars. Venues around the country have gone cashless during the pandemic, including nearby ballparks and arenas in Pennsylvania, which has helped minimize health risks by limiting contact. A cashless ballpark should also help minimize wait times. PNC Field will accept credit and debit cards. Additional forms of cashless payment will be available as upgrades are made at each point of sale this season.

Bag Policy
The RailRiders bag policy has been updated for 2021 as well. Fans may only bring medical bags, diaper bags or small wristlets into the ballpark this season. No other bags will be permitted.

Concessions
When fans head to the concession stands, they will notice social distancing markers to help keep everyone safe while waiting in line. All concession employees will be required to wear protective gloves and face coverings. Condiments and similar items will be served using pre-packaged servings as opposed to communal displays.

Restrooms
Every other urinal will be closed to ensure social distancing. Exterior doors will be propped open to encourage touchless entry/exit. Automatic towel and soap dispensers have also been installed to provide touchless distribution. Restrooms will be cleaned approximately every 30 minutes by PNC Field cleaning staff.

Smoking Policy
PNC Field is a smoke-free facility. Designated smoking areas have been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 concerns until social distancing and additional restrictions are lifted.

Autographs
Due to MLB, CDC and state distancing guidelines, players will not be signing autographs.

SWB Station Team Store
Capacity inside the team store will be limited to a maximum of 20 guests at a time. The team store footprint will be expanded to the outdoor concourse to allow for social distancing.

Additional Protocols and Procedures
– Enhanced cleaning procedures will be put in place throughout the ballpark during the 2021 season.

– Water fountains will be disabled for health precautions.

– The elevators to the Geisinger Champions Club and suites will be used with limited occupancy. A ticketed group in the same seating pod or suite will be permitted to ride together according to the elevator occupancy limit. PNC Field Gameday Staff will disinfect elevator buttons before each use.

– Public address announcements will be made throughout the game to encourage social distancing and to remind fans of the face-covering requirements.

– Social distancing guidelines will begin as you enter PNC Field and remain prevalent for the duration of your time at the ballpark. There will be stanchions that will separate and social distance each entrance.

– There will be a 12’ buffer zone between the dugouts and assigned seats.

– All full-time and game day staff will have their temperature checked during their arrival as well as fill out a COVID-19 Survey. Any staff member exhibiting a temperature above 100.4F or responding to the survey in a way that indicates possible infection will not be permitted into PNC Field.

Additional changes or protocol updates may be required as the season progresses due to MLB, CDC and state guidelines or restrictions.

Full, Half and Partial Season Ticket Memberships are on sale now. Single-game tickets for the 12 home dates in May will go on sale April 27 at 10 A.M. online at swbrailriders.com. Individual tickets for the remainder of the schedule will go on sale at a later time with eyes on restriction changes throughout the season.

For more information, please visit swbrailriders.com or contact the club by calling (570) 969-2255.