LINCOLN–(KFOR Sept. 21) The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT)’s Highway Safety Office, in collaboration with Mary Lanning Healthcare of Hastings, the Nebraska Safety Council, Lincoln Fire and Police Departments, and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, is hosting an event for National Seat Check today, starting at 9 a.m. This nationwide event highlights the importance of properly securing children and child safety seats in vehicles. NDOT’s Highway Safety Office will partner with 21 locations across Nebraska to offer free car seat checks, ensuring parents and caregivers have the knowledge they need to keep their children safe. Unfortunately, each year in Nebraska, approximately 500 children under the age of 16 are injured in crashes, and around 30% of those children are not properly restrained in the vehicle. In addition to child seat inspections at the Lincoln-area event, Mary Lanning Healthcare will demonstrate the dangers of heat in vehicles, raising awareness of hot car deaths, as Nebraska currently leads Region 7 in fatalities from children left unattended in hot vehicles. Parents are encouraged to attend to learn strategies to keep their children and families safe. What: National Check Seat Saturday When: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., today, with press event starting at 10 a.m. Where: Lincoln Fire Department’s Station 15, 6601 Pine Lake Road, Lincoln, NE 68516 Who: Joe Kelly, Lt. Governor Vicki Kramer, Director, NDOT Dean Scott, Occupant Protection Coordinator, NHTSA – Region 7 Janel Binder, community Outreach Specialist, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Michon Marrow, Chief of Police, Lincoln Police Department Press portion of the event will be streamed live on NDOT’s Facebook page. To find inspection stations in Nebraska: www.safekidsnebraska.org/safety-tips.