Seminole County has expanded their already aggressive Child Seat Safety program through the Safe Kids Seminole County Coalition and the Community Traffic Safety Team partnership. Whereas it is recognized nationally that 4 out of 5 car seats are improperly installed and that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of traumatic death to children, the Coalition/Team is hosting Car Seat Fitting stations at eight different locations throughout the County each month, as well as setting up larger check-up events with car dealerships and retail stores such as Courtesy Pontiac, Bill Heard Chevrolet, Classic Chevy, Babies R Us and Toys R Us on a monthly basis.

Our upcoming Child Passenger Safety Check-up Events are:
No events scheduled at this time.

Car Seat Fitting Stations
Seminole County Schedule (PDF)
Orange County Schedule (PDF)

The Educational Program has a schedule of 2 hour classes all over the County and enables attendees to receive a child restraint device at a discounted rate depending upon their financial status. The class is open to parents, caretakers, foster parents, grandparents, etc. Contact Robin Butler at (407) 665-5641 for additional information.

The Team/Coalition has brought back the Child Restraint Offenders Program (C.R.O.P.) with classes each month at the Seminole County Public Safety Building.

The Child Restraint Offenders Program (C.R.O.P.):

• Enables participants to receive instruction on proper use of a child restraint as well as a car seat at a discounted price
• Is offered at seven locations throughout the County and is not limited to primary caretakers
• Allows motorists who have been cited for not having their child properly restrained the opportunity to obtain education concerning the importance of child seat use and to have the points obtained from the incident to be waived

For additional information on C.R.O.P., contact Connie Kreinbring at 407-665-5126.

The Team/Coalition has also been working through Seminole Community College with the Day Care Management students instructing day care center operators on proper child restraint usage.

View photos from some of our Child Passenger Safety Program events.

Safe Kids CPS Forms:
Buckle Up Program Application [Financial Qualifications] (PDF) [109KB]
Educational Car Seat Program Notification Letter (PDF) [213KB]
Educational Car Seat Program Schedule (PDF)
Safe Kids Florida Child Passenger Safety Program Checklist (PDF) [462KB]
Seminole Safe Kid Web Site

Several members of the Seminole County CTST have recently received their "Operation Lifesaver" certifications and are now eligible to make presentations concerning Railroad Safety. Operation Lifesaver is a nationwide, nonprofit public awareness program dedicated to ending collisions, fatalities and injuries at high-way rail grade crossings and on railroad property.

In Seminole County alone, there are 60 public at grade motor vehicle highway rail grade crossings. We know that most collisions occur with trains traveling under 30 mph, within 25 miles of the drivers home and that 64% of these collisions occur within the daylight hours. There were 1219 injuries and 425 fatalities resulting from crossing collisions nationally in 2000, and there were 414 injuries and 463 fatalities national trespasser incidents.

These "Operation Lifesaver" presentations can be suited for all age groups.
 

lt. to rt. Officer Dom Carbanaro, Altamonte Springs PD; Loretta Willmitch, Keith & Schnars, P.A.; Robin Butler, Seminole County Traffic Engineering; Billy Parker, Amtrak, Operation Lifesaver Presenter/Trainer; Cathy Palmer, David Fierro and Assoc.; Officer John Kelly, Lake Mary PD - not pictured Officer Clay Toomes, Altamonte Springs PD)
View Another Photo

The $2 Dollar Difference Program has been going strong since 1995. The program allows individuals who register vehicles in Florida to make a $2 or more contribution to purchase child safety seats for needy families living in their own county. The $2 Difference Program, administered by each County Tax Collector, allows individuals to donate money each time they register their vehicle or renew their tag either at their local tax collector's office or through the mail. Every dollar donated is returned to the county in which it was received, and is used to purchase child safety seats for families who cannot afford them. The seats are then distributed by agencies, such as the Florida Highway Patrol, which have been designated by the Tax Collector in each county. In turn, parents and guardians who are recipients of the seats are given instruction in the proper installation and use of the child safety seats by AAA Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians.

As of January 2002, a total of $560,000 in donations has been received through the $2 Dollar Difference Program (and other generous private donations) from which 14,000 child safety seats have been purchased for needy Florida infants and toddlers. Thanks to the success of this valuable program, Florida's children whose parents or guardians cannot afford child safety seats are provided with seats free of charge along with the necessary training to properly install and use them. The $2 Difference Program is a highly successful program, which helps ensure that children, our most precious cargo, continue to ride safely on Florida's highways.