CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some parents say the school drop-off and pickup line can be stressful.

What You Need To Know

  • Experts say parents may not always strap their kids into car seats properly when in the school pickup or drop-off line

  • Experts with Britax, a car seat maker, advise against this

  • One Charlotte mother went to a Britax seat check event to learn more safety tips

The director of consumer advocacy at Britax, Sarah Tilton, says because of the pressure to move quickly, parents may not always strap their kids into the car seat properly.

“Parents get pressured, right, by the car line,” Tilton said. “Often that drop-off line or pickup line at schools, parents are not allowed to get out of the car. I laugh sometimes and almost say they’re not even allowed to stop."

Sandra Jacobs, who is a mom to two young kids in car seats, understands this stress.

Jacobs’ son Will is 5 and Alec is 2.

Will just started kindergarten, so Jacobs says she feels the stress of the car line.

“That’s been something that I was not prepared for,” she said. “But luckily a lot of moms kind of told me what to expect, it’s just being in it has been extremely different."

She went to a car seat safety check event through Britax, a car seat manufacturer, earlier this month and learned how to make sure her son’s car seat was installed correctly.

“They let me practice putting the car seats in myself and that was good to know,” she said.

At Britax, Tilton says you never know when an accident can happen.

“You need to practice best practice all of the time,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 46% of car seats and booster seats are misused in a way that could reduce their effectiveness. 

“That lap belt improperly positioned is going to cause internal injury,” Tilton said.

If you head to Buckle Up NC, you can find locations across the state where you can get your car seat checked.

You can also learn about state booster seat laws through the Governors Highway Safety Association website.