PennDOT to Collect Expired, Unsafe Car Seats in Centre County

PennDOT will collect children’s car seats that are expired, damaged or unsafe so they can be properly disposed this week in Centre County.

The “Car Seat Round Up” will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday at PennDOT District 2’s Centre County Maintenance Headquarters, 1000 E. Bishop St. in Bellefonte. The event is being hosted in partnership with Highway Safety Network and the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project.

The first 10 families to bring an unsafe car seat will receive a coupon for a free 10-inch cheese pizza from Pizza Mia in Bellefonte.

Car seats that are past their expiration date or are damaged are considered unsafe by medical and transportation experts and should be disposed of properly so they are not reused. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows safe car seats that are properly installed reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers.