When it comes to the safety of children riding in car seats, Iowa receives a failing grade, a new study says – but some police officers are trying to change that.

Iowa ranked near the bottom of states surveyed in a study released this February by the National Kids Safe Campaign.

The survey compared the laws in each state against seven important safety checkpoints and assigned letter grades to each state.

Iowa earned 38.65 points out of 100 for an “F” grade.

Officer Tom Shelton, community resource officer for the Ames Police Department, organizes child seat safety check-up events in Ames. He completed the certified child restraint systems technician training in June of 2000.

“The goal is to make sure they leave the car seat event safer than they came in,” he said.

Shelton organized a child seat safety check-up in Ames for this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lowe’s on Airport Road.

To help with the event, Shelton recruited several other technicians, including Lieutenant Steve Hasstedt from the ISU Department of Public Safety.

“A lot of people have car seats, but they are not using them properly,” Hasstedt said.

According to a 1999 study by the National Kids Safe Campaign, close to 85 percent of children are endangered while riding in their families’ vehicles.

The study surveyed records of close to 18,000 children who attended child seat check-up events performed by certified child restraint systems technicians around the nation and found that most were incorrectly positioned in their car seats.

Shelton also sees a lot of car seats used improperly.

“So far this year I’ve checked 14, and 10 out of the 14 were incorrect,” he said.

Hasstedt also thinks that Iowa needs to improve on car seat safety.

“Iowa has a 96 percent misuse rate,” he said. “That goes for everything from the seat not secured up to twisted straps.”

The driver can be held responsible for car seat misuse if the seat is not secured according to the manufacturers instructions, Hasstedt said.

The child seat check-up events are designed to help anyone with a car seat use it properly.

“Basically what we do is instruct whoever has a seat how to put the seat in or make recommendations if the seat doesn’t fit,” he said.

Hasstedt also said the technicians check for seats that were recalled by the manufacturer.

“There’s a lot of people who drive around with a recalled seat and don’t know it,” he said.

Shelton said the event is set up as a drive-through, and they usually check two cars at a time.

“It usually takes about 15 minutes to complete the check and fill out the paperwork,” he said.

Several area businesses will help out with the event, Shelton said. Valentino’s will donate 10 pizzas, Dutch Oven Bakeries will donate 10 dozen cookies, and Lowe’s will donate the parking lot along with a monetary amount.

The sponsors were fairly easy to find, he said.

“Everybody is always interested in kid safety,” he said. “People are always willing to help out.”

Hasstedt said he is looking forward to a good turnout at check-up events this year.

“I just hope to see a lot of people out there,” he said.

There will be another child seat check-up event this summer on July 14 at Target in Ames, Shelton said.

To become a child restraint systems technician requires 32 hours of initial training and a test.

Each year they must attend an additional eight hours of training, complete another 100-point test, and stay active by checking a number of different car seats in a variety of different vehicles, Shelton said.