An official with a Wyoming child safety group says the overwhelming majority of child safety seats in the state are improperly installed.

Victoria Ingerle of Safe Kids Wyoming says that's a problem, because if the seats aren't used properly, they may not protect a child in a crash. State law requires that children under the age of 9 must be in a child safety seat.

There are exceptions in the law in cases where a doctor has determined that because of the size, weight or physical condition of the child, the can't be put in such a seat. But Ingerle says at least 75 percent of child safety seats in Laramie County are not being used properly.

But Ingerle says at least 75 percent of child safety seats in Laramie County are not being used properly.

She says while the seats seem simple to install, a lot of people aren't doing it correctly. Ingerle says studies show that properly installed child safety seats reduce the rate of serious injury to children in car crashes by 71 percent. But that percentage goes way down when the seats are not being used correctly.

Safe Kids Wyoming has car safety seat stations around Wyoming where parents can get help from technicians in making sure their seats are properly installed.

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