Three out of four car seats misused in Lincoln-Lancaster County, experts give advice on keeping kids safe

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Parents have a lot to worry about when it comes to their children and keeping kids safe inside a vehicle is one of them. During child passenger safety week, Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County is sharing ways you can do that.

In 2021, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department held 28 car seat check events, looking at 305 seats. Three out of every four were being misused. This year, they’re continuing car seat checks, making sure every parent is using them properly.

In the United States, vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children between four and 12 years old.

“We want to take the confusion and the anxiety out of it for parents, child care providers and grandparents by making sure that they have the resources they need,” Brian Baker with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department said. “Making sure those child passengers are as safe as possible.”

According to Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County, babies need to ride in a rear facing seat until at least the age of two. Correctly using child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent. You can find the list of car seat safety tips here.

Baker said the best way to be sure a seat is being used properly and safely is by getting it checked by a professional.

“It is a leading cause of unintentional injury in our community, motor vehicle crashes, but they don’t have to be,” Baker said. “If we take the proper precautions those car seats will work as they’re designed to work and provide the protection and keep the kids safe.”

You can head to the Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County website for safety resources and information on car seat check events. The next check is Saturday, Sept. 24.

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