MATTAWA - Various area agencies are sponsoring a free child passenger safety check on Thursday, Oct. 2, in the Mattawa Police Department parking lot.

"Are all your kids riding safely?" asks Erika Simmons, Target Zero coordinator for the Central Basin Traffic Safety Task Force.

"The odds are not good," she answers, saying car crashes are the leading cause of injury death for children ages 1-14.

The police parking lot is the same as city hall's. It's located at 521 Government Road.

The safety checks will be held from 6-8 p.m.

The safety check is sponsored by the Central Basin Traffic Safety Task Force, Safe Kids Grant County, Mattawa Police Department and Grant County Fire District No. 8.

"A nationally certified child passenger safety technician will show you which types of car and booster seats your children should be in and how to install them correctly," Simmons said.