PennDOT, Pennsylvania State Police, Safety Partners Announce Free Car Seat Checks Ahead of National Child Passenger Safety Week

Sep 18, 2023

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.

Aug 15, 2023

My office received information that Waste Connections has a crew starting tomorrow to re-run all of the Wednesday and Friday route days for receptacle pick up.

Residents should have all equipment they would like removed curbside by this evening (8/15).

Waste Connections also sent ROBO automated messages out with these details as of this afternoon.

Any refunds owed should be received by 9/1/23.

We are not sure who is on the Wednesday and Friday routes, therefore, please have the receptacle curbside.

Please be advised that trash receptacle pick-up is ONLY for A.J. Blosenski customers who were notified that their contract was being terminated. If your contract was terminated, you would have received a letter in July. If you were not notified that your contract was terminated, your trash receptacle will not be picked up.

Rep. Matt Bradford to host family fair sept. 12

Aug 8, 2023

State Rep. Matt Bradford is hosting a free Family Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown.

Rep. Bradford’s office, as well as other community organizations, will share information about important services and programs to benefit children and families. There will be family-friendly activities, free food, animals, special guests, local sports mascots, and more.

The event is free and open to families in the community but space is limited. RSVP by emailing repbradford@pahouse.net or calling 610-222-3490 with your name, address and the number of people attending.

ALERT – Dog owners please read

Aug 7, 2023

We have received complaints of major issues regarding dogs off their leash and aggressive dogs. Therefore, as a reminder, we are re-posting that per Skippack Township Code:

  • Pets are prohibited from all parks/parkland unless attended and controlled by a leash.
  • The individual in charge of an animal shall possess proper implements for the gathering and disposing of pet waste.
  • All pet waste shall be collected immediately by the individual in charge of the animal, not buried, and shall be disposed of properly.  

This code is strictly enforced, and any violations will be fined. In the unfortunate event of a dog attack on yourself or your pet, please first seek emergency medical attention, and then please report to the State Police immediately following.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter and help in keeping our residents and pets safe.

Code red weather emergency

Jul 27, 2023

The Montgomery County Commissioners, on the advice of the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, have declared a “Code Red” Hot Weather Emergency for Montgomery County beginning today and ending on Friday, July 28, 2023, at 8 p.m.

Click this link for more information on who is most at risk and how to stay cool.

Slip Ramp at Sumneytown Pike & Old Forty Foot Road to Close/Detour July 31st

Jul 27, 2023

Starting next Monday, July 31st, PennDOT has scheduled the closure and detour of the slip ramp at Sumneytown Pike and Old Forty Foot Road, serving eastbound traffic, for reconstruction and modifications to the ramp, as part of PennDOT’s PA63/309 Connector Project. The planned traffic detour will keep traffic moving beyond the slip ramp, up to the main PA Turnpike intersection with two left-turn lanes into the interchange. The detour will resemble the eastbound traffic flows approaching the interchange prior to the opening of the slip ramp. This detour will be in effect for approximately 2 months. 

Following the slip ramp construction, PennDOT will restripe the eastbound approach of Sumneytown Pike at the slip ramp intersection with a new configuration to include dual left-turn lanes and a shared through/right-turn lane. For more 309 Connector Project information, see PennDOT’s link.

7/23/23 ROAD CLOSURE

Jul 21, 2023

Anders Road will be closed between Kratz Road and Meetinghouse Road on Sunday, 7/23/23, for road work to replace a storm pipe.

12u Sectionals In Palmer Park

Jul 17, 2023

Lower Perkiomen Little League is hosting sectionals for 12u Baseball tomorrow (7/18) at Palmer Park.

Games will start at 5pm and 7pm.

They are starting the games early but in the event of inclement weather, we have allowed the lights to be extended if needed.

Please join us in wishing these teams good luck! ⚾️

Waste Removal

Jul 17, 2023

As you know, all residents in Skippack Township are responsible for their own waste removal. It has been brought to our attention that some of you are having trouble with certain waste removal companies.

Constituents are encouraged to file complaints with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General against their trash hauler. The Office of Attorney General has acted before against trash haulers who failed to comply with their contracts and failed to provide refunds to consumers who pre-paid for services and did not obtain the service.

Below is the link for the consumer complaint form, which can be submitted electronically – https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is also aware of this problem and looking into the issue.