Report: Nearly Half Of Child Car Seats Installed Incorrectly

By Denise Wong

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Nearly half of car seats for infants and children under the age of 8 are installed incorrectly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Jocelynn Barlow wrapped up her errands with her kids, and now it's time to buckle them up and head home, making sure they're safe and secure first.

RELATED: CHP Program Helps Parents Install Child Safety Seats

"Oh that's everything to me," she said. "They're my world. So if something were to happen to them it would be very ugly for me."

But she remembers how frustrating it was to install those car seats, because if they're not put in properly, California Highway Patrol officer Cassie Pochop says they won't do what they're designed to do in a crash.

"I've seen many collisions where car seats—if they were installed correctly—could have prevented injuries," she said.

She's passionate about being a car-seat technician and educating parents. She believes so many install them incorrectly because the seats can be confusing and there is no consistency.

"There's so many variations of car seats and different vehicles," she said. "That each installation tends to be just slightly different."

The most common mistakes she sees include chest clips on infant safety seats in the wrong spot. They have to be at armpit level to protect the child, and seats not secured tightly enough. They shouldn't move more than an inch when jiggled.

Taking care of kids is tough enough; making sure a car seat is doing its job should be one thing you don't have to worry about.