Free child car-seat inspections and assistance are available to parents and caregivers weekly across New York. The inspection in Albany County will take place on June 13 at the Guilderland Public Library at 2228 Western Ave. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Guilderland Police will conduct the check; Sergeant Eric Batchelder at 356-1501, ext.1086, has more information.

The goal of the campaign is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly securing their children, from infants to 12-year-olds in the right car restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster seats and seat belts) for their age and size and to ensure the safety restraints are properly used and installed.

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old, according to a release from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. However, properly installed car seats can greatly reduce the risk of death or injury during a crash. Research has shown that child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration makes these recommendations for purchasing and using child safety seats:

— Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle and use it every time;

— Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or latch system; and check height and weight limits;

— To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements; and

— Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

A recent survey by NHTSA found that the following are the five most significant and commonly observed mistakes made by parents and caregivers when using and installing car seats and booster seats:

— Wrong harness slot used: The harness straps used to hold the child in the car seat were positioned either too low or too high;

— Harness chest clip positioned over the abdomen rather than the chest or not used at all;

— Loose car seat installation: The restraint system moved more than two inches side-to-side or front-to-back; anything more than one inch is too much;

— Loose harness: More than two inches of total slack between the child and the harness strap; there should be no slack; and

— Seat belt placement was wrong: Lap belt resting over the stomach or shoulder belt on the child's neck or face.

The survey also revealed that 20 percent of all drivers of child passengers did not read any instructions on how to properly install their child restraints, yet 90 percent felt “confident” or “very confident” that their car seats and booster seats were installed correctly.