If Florence damaged your car seat, the state has a new one for you

Oct. 04--RALEIGH -- If your losses from Hurricane Florence include a flooded or damaged car seat, the state of North Carolina wants to give you a new one for free.

Safe Kids North Carolina, a program of the state Department of Insurance, will be handing out new car seats to storm victims at seven different places this month, starting in Buies Creek on Saturday.

Floodwaters can do a number on car seats. Not only do the cloth and cushions harbor mold, but the metal parts can rust, weakening the seats or causing them to not work properly. Simply drying one out may not be enough, according to state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

"A lot of parents, grandparents and caregivers might not realize that flooding can have a tremendous negative impact on the functionality of your child's safety seat," Causey said in a statement.

Safe Kids North Carolina has nearly 400 cars seats available and another 100 on order, said director Shannon Bullock. The seats are donated by various Safe Kids groups and their sponsors, including manufacturers and insurance companies, Bullock said.

To qualify for a new one, parents or caregivers must bring a valid North Carolina ID, their child and either their damaged car seat or proof of hurricane damage. A technician will be on hand to explain how the new seat works and make sure it is installed correctly.

The new seats will be available at the following locations:

-- Buies Creek on Oct. 6 at Campbell University, 143 Main St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- Beaufort on Oct. 9 at 1702 Live Oak St., Suite 100, from 2 to 4 p.m.

-- Laurinburg on Oct. 11 at Holly Square Shopping Center, 1664 South Main St., from 2 to 5 p.m.

-- Castle Hayne on Oct. 16 at New Hanover County Fire Rescue Station 13, 5311 Castle Hayne Road, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

-- Lumberton on Oct. 18 at Biggs Park Mall, 2800 North Elm St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

-- Elizabethtown on Oct. 18 at Greene's Pond Lot, 1358 West Broad St., from 3 to 7 p.m.

-- Spring Lake on Oct. 23 at Spring Lake Fire Department, 300 Ruth St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about Safe Kids North Carolina, go to www.ncdoi.com/OSFM/SafeKids/.

Richard Stradling: 919-829-4739, @RStradling

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