Free car seat check event helps families start the school year safely

Free car seat check event helps families start the school year safely Aug. 17, 2026 - Colorado - Car Seats Colorado and partners team up to ensure proper installation of car seats https://www.codot.gov/news/2026/august2026news/free-car-seat-check-start-school-year-safely https://www.codot.gov/@@site-logo/siteLogo.png

News Release

Aug. 17, 2026 - Colorado - Car Seats Colorado and partners team up to ensure proper installation of car seats

Un evento gratis de revisión de sillas de seguridad infantiles ayuda a las familias a empezar el año escolar de manera segura en español.

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Statewide - As families settle into new routines for the school year, Car Seats Colorado is reminding parents and caregivers that back-to-school season is also the perfect time to make sure car seats and booster seats are installed and used correctly. Just over 73% of car seats checked in the state last year were installed or used incorrectly - a number that has barely budged in recent years even as the state has updated its child passenger safety laws.

"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."

A mother fastens her young child's rear-facing car seat belt. Text overlay reads "Every ride counts."
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At a free car seat check event at Denver's Central Park Recreation Center, Car Seats Colorado, WeeCycle and AAA helped families make sure their children's car seats were safe and correctly installed. Technicians checked each child's car seat, adjusted harnesses and seat positions, and confirmed the seat was the right fit for the child's size and development.

"Children outgrow car seats and boosters quickly, and a seat that fits perfectly in the spring may no longer be appropriate by fall," said Trooper Kent Trimbach, program coordinator for Car Seats Colorado. "Taking the time to understand what type of seat your child should be in - and making sure it fits and is installed correctly - is one of the most important things you can do to keep them safe. Children can't recognize when a seat belt or car seat doesn't fit them right. That's your job."

Common mistakes to watch for include:

• A harness or seat belt that's too loose
• A car seat or booster that no longer matches a child's current height and weight
• Children moved out of a booster seat and into a seat belt before they are ready
• Children who are too small riding in the front seat
• Seats being installed incorrectly.

Car Seats Colorado emphasizes that seats, boosters and seat belts are designed to protect children based on their size, not their age. A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt lies snugly across the upper thighs - not the stomach - and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of the shoulder and chest, rather than the neck or face.

National crash data shows correct use of car and booster seats saves young lives:

• Correctly used child restraints reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger vehicles
• Booster seats lower the risk of serious injury among older children by 45% compared with seat belts alone
• More than a quarter of infants who died in car crashes in 2024 weren't restrained at all, and toddlers between 1 and 3 years old, nearly 42% had no restraint
• Among 13- to 14-year-olds killed in crashes nationwide, nearly 57% had no seat belt on
• Kids tend to follow their parents' lead. When a driver wasn't wearing a seat belt, nearly two-thirds of the children in that vehicle weren't either. Colorado's crash data reflects the same patterns.

Updated child passenger safety laws

Colorado updated its child passenger safety laws at the start of last year. Children must now stay in a car seat or booster seat until at least age 9, up from 8. Kids under 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat. And every passenger under 18 must be buckled up - the previous cutoff was 16. Failing to follow any of these laws is a primary violation, meaning that drivers can be pulled over and ticketed if a law enforcement officer sees an unrestrained or improperly restrained child in their vehicle.

An infographic flowchart outlining Colorado's Child Passenger Safety Law effective Jan. 1, 2025. It details the required car seat, booster seat, or seat belt usage based on age and weight categories for children under 18 years old.
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Where to get a car seat check

Parents and caregivers can visit CarSeatsColorado.com to find an inspection station near them, and access resources to register their car seat (so you'll know if your seat is ever recalled) and review installation guidance. Families who can't afford a car seat may qualify for a free or low-cost seat through WeeCycle, Children's Hospital Colorado or SafeKids Colorado Springs.

About Car Seats Colorado

Car Seats Colorado is a joint effort of the Colorado State Patrol, CDOT, local car seat technicians, law enforcement, emergency services and other professionals who are dedicated to implementing child passenger safety programs and encouraging parents to take the necessary steps to protect their children when in vehicles. Learn more about how to keep children safe in vehicles and download informational resources at CarSeatsColorado.com.