Concerned parents get car seat pointers in Clark County

There are more than 140,000 children in Clark County who, by law, must ride in a car seat.

State law says all children younger than 6 or less than 60 pounds need one. Infants less than 20 pounds must be in a rear-facing seat.

But the law says nothing about which seat to get, how to install it or when to throw your old one out. The experts say most car seats are installed incorrectly.

Figuring all this out for yourself can be difficult. Even if you think you have figured it out, installing the seat properly can be a chore. It takes muscle and know-how.

Jennifer Kleven wasn't sure she had either on Friday.

Kleven and her 2-year-old son, Kade, stopped by University Medical Center to have professionals reinstall Kade's car seat for free.

"When I heard about the tragic incident the other day with the 3-year-old, obviously that sparked the urgency to come here," Kleven said.

She was talking about the death of Emily Kay. Police said the girl was riding in a booster seat Monday when the car driven by her father was involved in a crash near their home in Henderson.

"That was a huge wake-up call," Kleven said.

She said she had installed Kade's seat herself, but now she wasn't sure whether it was in correctly.

Juan Moreno, a UMC employee trained in car seat installation, said the manual for Kleven's car seat was missing. But she had her car's owner's manual. Following that, he decided to move the seat to a safer spot.

UMC Children's Hospital frequently has such events.

Lisa Pacheco, a registered nurse and the maternal child services director, said getting the proper seat and installing it correctly is only part of the issue. There are other potential problems.

"People don't understand, car seats expire," she said.

They are only good for five years, she said. And they should be replaced after an accident because there could be hidden damage.

She said parents should never buy a used car seat. If they have questions or concerns, they should stop by one of UMC's events. Parents who cannot afford a car seat might be able to get a new one for free, she said.

UMC is able to sponsor the events, and others focusing on bicycle and water safety, with the help of donations. Kohl's, the department store, donated $139,000 to the effort on Friday.

Jennifer Jimenez stopped by because she is pregnant and already has three kids. The oldest, 11 doesn't need a car seat. But she isn't sure about her 6-year-old, and her 20-month-old is riding in a really old car seat, she said.

The news of the 3-year-old's death this week stunned her.

"It was just a shocker," she said. "You want your kids to be safe."

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.