Just over 74% of car seats in Colorado were installed or used incorrectly last year, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
As part of last month’s Child Passenger Safety Month, Car Seats Colorado, WeeCycle and AAA partnered to bring free car seat checks to families across metro Denver to help keep infants, toddlers and children of all ages safe in cars.
Several updates to Colorado’s child passenger safety laws went into effect earlier this year. Key changes include raising the age requirement for mandatory use of a car seat or booster from eight to nine years old and requiring children to remain in rear-facing car seats until they are two years old.
The law also now requires children to be properly restrained in a seat belt until they are 18, a change from the previous requirement of 16.
“According to safety data, correctly using a car or booster seat can mean the difference between life and death for children in a crash,” said CDOT’s Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “No parent wants to get it wrong, but many simply don’t know what is required. We are committed to making sure caregivers have the knowledge and tools to protect their children every time they are traveling on the road.”
