Macon health department receives car seat grant

The Macon-Bibb County Health Department has been awarded the 2016 Car Seat Mini-Grant by the Georgia Department of Public Health's Injury Prevention Program.

Through the grant, the department will provide up to 96 car seats this year and help educate financially eligible families in Macon. The program is funded by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, according to a news release.

Since 2007, the education, car seats and booster seats provided through the grant prevented serious injury or death and saved the lives of at least 303 children in Georgia who were involved in crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car seats reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent among infants and by 54 percent among children 1 to 4 years old.

"It's our responsibility to keep our children safe," said Stephanie Hyman, SafeKids coordinator at the Macon-Bibb County Health Department.

For more information about the car seat program, call Stephanie Hyman at 749-0144. For more information about other counties involved in the program, email injury@dph.ga.gov or call 404-679-0500.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Macon health department receives car seat grant ."