Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children under 13 and surveys find many Iowans don’t know how to properly install or use a child car seat. Tammy Fleshner, spokeswoman for the Butler County Department of Health, says car seat misuse in Iowa is tracking as high as 95-percent.

 

Several factors contribute to so many misused car seats, including the high number of different vehicles on the roads today. Fleshner says misuse isn’t intentional, but it needs to be addressed to save lives.

 

Many county health departments and law enforcement agencies across Iowa offer free car seat inspections, typically by appointment.