Improperly installed car seats common problem, according to MHP Trooper

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - According to Sgt. Collin Stosberg, properly installed car seats could be the difference between life and death for a child during a collision.

Sgt. Stosberg works for the Missouri Highway Patrol, and part of his job is making sure child safety seats are properly installed. He said 90 percent of parents who bring their safety seats in have installed them incorrectly.

"You want to make sure that the seat is installed properly, just like a seat belt if its not worn properly you find yourself getting hurt," Stosberg said.

Kansas City Police believe that's what happened Thursday morning during a single-car accident. The driver lost control of her car and rolled down an embankment. The impact of the rollover threw her 5-year-old son from the vehicle in his car seat. 

Police believe the car seat was not installed properly, a problem Sgt. Stosberg encounters and fixes on a weekly basis.

"If the car seat is not installed properly it could lead to injury if not death. Again, that's the worst part of our job," said Stosberg.

The Missouri Highway Patrol will install your car seat free of charge or you can log onto SAFEKIDS.ORG to find a check station near you.