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This week is Child Passenger Safety Week, observed nationally from September 17 to September 23. Child Passenger Safety Week is intended to bring awareness to the dangers of improper car seat use for young children and to educate caregivers about using car seats effectively.
Using correctly installed and age-appropriate car seats for children is crucial to protect them in the event of a car crash. In 2021, the National Traffic Safety Administration found that over a third of children killed in car accidents were improperly restrained. The following year in Colorado, data collected by Colorado’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) showed that two-thirds of car seats were being misused. More detailed information about car seat and seatbelt use (and misuse) among children can be found in the State of Colorado child safety restraint system and juvenile seat belt survey reports, available in our digital repository.
Because of the importance of correctly installed car seats, CDOT and the Colorado State Patrol have teamed up to create Car Seats Colorado to provide education and resources for caregivers and children. The Car Seats Colorado website hosts video tutorials to help caregivers installing their car seats, as well as information on booking car seat inspections with a certified technician. CDOT also created a series of videos explaining proper use of age-appropriate child restraint systems, from newborns up to age 12.
Child Passenger Safety Week includes Seat Check Saturday on September 23. Car Seats Colorado is hosting events in Denver and Colorado Springs to provide on-site car seat checks and to give away free car seats or booster seats. Free car seat inspections are available all year around Colorado; find your nearest inspection station here.
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