Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center partners with California Highway Patrol

SANTA MARIA, CA – March 26, 2025 – Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center is working with local agencies to inform the public regarding the serious risks associated with using unapproved car seats.

Staff members on Marian’s Injury Prevention Team regularly perform free car seat inspections to ensure the seats are installed correctly. During recent checks, they’ve encountered a number of unapproved seats.

As a leading health care provider on the Central Coast, Marian Regional Medical Center is committed to educating parents and caregivers about the importance of child passenger safety.

Counterfeit or unauthorized car seats fail to meet federal safety standards and can provide inadequate protection in the event of a crash.

According to Officer Maria Barriga, of the California Highway Patrol office in Santa Maria, these seats may be made with substandard materials, have design flaws, or lack proper labeling and instructions. Using such a seat can lead to severe injuries or even death for a child in a collision.

“As a Level II Trauma Center, Marian and our community partners strive to educate our community about injury prevention,” says Dr. Kevin Rodriguez, a trauma surgeon who works inside Marian’s Emergency Department. “We know parents are concerned about safety, and it’s important for them to know that we’re finding more and more unapproved car seats during our car seat safety checks at the hospital.”

Typically, these seats are either regulated and approved for use outside the United States, and have not met federal standards, or they are counterfeit products altogether – made to look like legitimate car seats from a name brand. Either way, these seats are not approved for use in the United States.

“As a trauma surgeon, I love caring for patients, but I’d rather see everyone stay safe and not have to come to our Emergency Department as a patient,” Dr. Rodriguez adds.

Protect your child by being vigilant for counterfeit or unauthorized car seats. Officer Barriga says warning signs of counterfeit or unapproved car seats include unusually low prices, missing or incomplete labeling (especially the FMVSS 213 certification),

poor quality materials, missing parts, lack of instructions, and unfamiliar brand names from unverified sellers.

To ensure safety, Barriga says, purchase car seats only from reputable retailers, register your seat with the manufacturer, carefully read and follow instructions, and have it inspected by a certified technician. Avoid used car seats with unknown histories and never use a car seat past its expiration date.

Current California law states that children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat.

Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat. Children who are 8 years of age or have reached 4 feet, 9 inches in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt.

Dignity Health urges all parents and caregivers to take these precautions to protect their children and ensure their safety while traveling in vehicles. For more information on car seat safety, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats.

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level II trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and has received an “A” grade in hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group.

Marian Regional Medical Center is one of seven award-winning hospitals that comprise Dignity Health Central Coast: Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo, all recognized for their quality of care, safety, and service. Additionally, Dignity Health Central Coast has a network of nearly 50 physician offices known as Pacific Central Coast Health Centers that include primary care, cancer care and various specialty offices. Dignity Health Central Coast also includes premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically advanced imaging centers, outpatient services, and comprehensive home health services. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/marianregional and dignityhealth.org/centralcoast.