The Leesburg Police Department will hold a “National Seat Check” on Thursday and Friday at Costco in Leesburg.

From 1 to 5 p.m. certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to check car seats for proper installation and advise parents and caregivers how to choose the right car seats and install them in their vehicles.

Costco is at 1300 Edwards Ferry Road.

The free event is part of the department’s participation in Child Passenger Safety Week.

“This is the third year in a row that Costco has hosted a child safety seat event. With support from the public like this, the Leesburg Police Department hopes to promote the proper use of child safety seats and keep children safe while riding in a car,” Leesburg Police Chief Joesph R. Price said in a prepared statement.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 13, according to Leesburg Police Department.

Crash data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Safety Administration for 2010 shows that about two children 12 or younger were killed and 325 were injured each day in passenger vehicles.

The department gave tips on which child safety seat should be used, depending on the child’s age, and how to properly install the seats:

Birth – 12 months
For the best possible protection, a child younger than age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats: infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years
A child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. This may result in many children riding rear-facing to age 2 or older. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years
Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by a car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years
Keep your child in a booster seat until the child is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.