A Minnesota grandmother who lost her daughter in a crash with a semi truck last year is helping state public safety officials spread the message on the importance of proper car seat usage.
Jennifer Starkson recalled the day she was called to the scene of the crash. Her daughter Morgan was killed, but her three young grandchildren survived.
"And I went to the little girls, they were still buckled in their car seats in the ambulance. There wasn't a mark on those girls," says Starkson.
As for seat belt use, the department of public safety says it's at an all-time high of more than 95% in Minnesota, but they say everyone needs to buckle up to save lives.
Extra seat belt and car seat enforcement is planned statewide next week.
The same goes for making sure babies and young kids are properly secured in car seats.
Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogojevich says that means doing it right every time - even if you're in a hurry.
"Maybe you're running late to school or daycare drop off, and you think my kid is strapped in good enough," Bogojevich explained. "Or it's just a quick trip and you tell yourself, 'we're only going a few blocks, I'll be fine if I don't buckle up.' But here's the thing, crashes don't wait for the right time or the right place."
The increase in seat belt use is encouraging news, but saving lives and preventing further heartache requires everyone to buckle up or be in the correct car seat.
In 2024, preliminary figures show 477 traffic fatalities, and of those, 106 were not wearing a seat belt.
In addition to the seat belt extra enforcement and awareness campaign, September 21-27 is also National Child Passenger Safety Week, culminating statewide with Seat Check Saturday events.
Instead of just relying on the child’s size, Minnesota law specifies ages for rear and forward-facing car seats, booster seats and seat belts depending on the weight and height, and on the car seat manufacturer.