University of Iowa Stead children’s hospital offering free child safety seat assistance Thursday at Iowa River Landing

Forty-six percent of child safety seats in vehicles, or nearly half, are installed incorrectly, leading to the potential for serious injury or death in the case of a crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Making sure a child’s car seat is installed properly is vital.

Safety experts at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, in collaboration with Safe Kids Johnson County, want to help.

The hospital is hosting a free drive-up site at UI Health Care-Iowa River Landing from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Trained technicians, some with expertise in special needs, will provide child safety seat education and help with getting seats properly installed.

Those interested in having their child safety seats inspected should bring their vehicle, the safety seat, and their child.