Charles City Police sTEP Up Vehicle Child Restraint Safety

The Charles City Police Department is involved a Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau.

Police Chief Hugh Anderson says a federal grant pays to have CCPD dedicate officers to carrying out their focus on proper seat belt and safety restraints use for kids.

According to an Iowa Child Passenger Safety Survey in 2022 by the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center, about 92% of children 17 and under were properly restrained in vehicles in accordance with Iowa law. However, less than 80% of kids ages two to five were properly restrained.

The survey included various locations in north and northeast Iowa, including Waverly, Sumner, Mason City, Northwood, Algona and Waterloo.