'I always think what if?' Mother credits a car seat safety class for saving her kids' lives

FRESNO, California -- Jessica Martinez is a no-nonsense type of mother.

"See how it doesn't move? You pull on it, and you feel it," she said.

She's gone to several car seat demonstration classes since her kids were born.

Those lessons saved their lives.

"To me, it is a big deal because I travel a lot. I'm mostly on the road every day," she said.

Jessica recently bought a new car seat for her daughter. But the little girl kept finding ways to slip out of her harness.

Last Saturday, Jessica decided it was best to switch back to the original seat.

"I always think what if? That's exactly what happened that morning, what if?" she said.

As Jessica was nearing a curve that day, she lost control of her van.

Her car rolled into a field and landed on its roof. Her two kids didn't suffer a scratch.

"Thank goodness I'm alive, I'm here to tell a story. Hopefully, my story will help someone else," Martinez said.

The national average for car seat misuse is over 70 percent.

Parents are advised to take advantage of free checkups and classes.

"It's not even should I? It's, you have to," she said.

For Jessica, the hours and patience have been well worth the time.

In Houston, visit SafeKids.org for locations and contact information to arrange a car-seat checkup.