CINCINNATI — Safety experts say car seats save the lives of hundreds of children each year. A Cincinnati Children's initiative is prioritizing safety by pairing families with certified experts to ensure their car seat is ready for the road.
"You want to make sure that your child is riding in the appropriate car seat for their age, weight and size," said Gloria Del Castillo, senior specialist of community engagement at Buckle Up for Life.
Del Castillo has been educating families about car seat safety for 20 years.
"The shoulder belt should cross the child's chest comfortably and rest on the shoulder," said Del Castillo.
WATCH: Our video shows proper installation techniques demonstrated step-by-step
Del Castillo is one of the founders of Buckle Up for Life, a child passenger safety program. It started with Cincinnati Children's trauma surgeons working alongside safety engineers from Toyota.
They have provided training to more than 230,000 parents. The program has also given free car seats to more than 100,000 families in need.
Del Castillo said three out of four car seats are not installed correctly.
She has passed this training to her daughter, Ale Lewis, who showed us how to properly put her son in a car seat.
"I truly believe every time they are in a vehicle, they need to be buckled in correctly and that's a non-negotiable," said Lewis.
Lewis said her friends always ask her how to properly buckle their children in a car seat.
"Don't underestimate the safety value of it," said Lewis. "I think it's very easy to think we're going just a couple of streets down the road, but don't underestimate the value of being buckled in correctly and having your child in a booster seat."
She said it's valuable education that will save several lives.
"In an emergency situation, I know that they'll be safe," said Lewis.
Click here to learn more about Buckle Up for Life.
