Facts
Motor vehicle crashes account for 1 out of every 3 injury-related deaths of children 12 and younger.

Children ages four and under account for 33 percent of motor vehicle-related deaths among children.

Approximately 220,000 children ages 14 and under suffered injuries in motor vehicle crashes in 2002.

71 percent of the deaths and 66 percent of the injuries children suffer in traffic collisions could be prevented if children were properly restrained.

Background
Protecting children by using age and size-appropriate restraints is the best way to avoid crash-related injuries. You cannot control bad driving conditions or the poor judgment and excessive speed of other drivers, but you can choose to transport your children as safely as possible.

Proper restraint is especially important for infants. Infants are at a greater risk of injury in crashes because their heads are fragile, their neck bones are soft, and the ligaments that help support the neck are stretchy. A rear-facing seat supports an infant’s head and reduces the risk of injury and death.

Physically, children are smaller than average adults. Their smaller size means that the standard safety belts in motor vehicles do not properly fit to protect children's bodies. Children ages 4 to 8 are especially at risk for improperly using safety belts in motor vehicles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children do not fit in adult shoulder/lap belts (without a booster seat) until they are 58 inches tall and weigh 80 pounds. However, children between the ages of 4 to 8 years who have outgrown their child safety seat often are placed too soon in adult lap/shoulder belts without a booster seat. An estimated five percent of children in this age group are properly restrained with booster seats in motor vehicles.

Child Passenger Safety Seat Laws
All 50 states including the District of Columbia have passed a child passenger safety seat law.  Children who are younger than 4 years of age must be in a child passenger safety seat. State laws vary in their recommendations for children ages 4 to 8 years. Most laws promote optimal safety and the use of a belt-positioning booster seat until the child is big enough to use the vehicle’s lap and shoulder safety belt alone. Be aware of the laws that govern your state and those of the states you visit. Go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/state_laws/restrain2.html for a complete listing.

How You Can Keep Your Child Secure

• Always use a car safety seat. Start with the baby's first ride home from the hospital.
• Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle, especially one with a passenger air bag.
• Babies under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing seat.
• Toddlers over age 1 and weighing 20 to 40 pounds can ride in a forward-facing car seat, only in the back seat. It is best to keep toddlers in a rear-facing position up until they reach the maximum weight and height allowed by the car seat.
• Children under age 8 and weighing more than 40 pounds, should always ride in a belt-positioning booster seat in the back seat, with both lap and shoulder belts.
• The back seat is the best place for all children to ride.
• Set a good example - always wear your seat belt. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
• Remember that each car safety seat is different. Read and keep handy the instructions that come with the seat, and follow the manufacturer's instructions at all times.
• Read the vehicle owner's manual to learn how to correctly install car safety seats.  Look for local car safety seat checks to have your seats installed or checked by certified technicians.
• Purchasing decisions should not be based on price alone. Higher prices can mean added features that may or may not make the seat safer or easier to use. All car safety seats available for purchase in the United States must meet very strict safety standards established and maintained by the federal government.
• When you find a seat you like, try it out. Put your child in it and adjust the harnesses and buckles. Make sure it fits properly and securely in your car. Keep in mind that pictures or displays of car safety seats in stores may not show them being used the right way.

If you need help installing your car safety seat, contact a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician. To locate and set up an appointment, call toll-free at 866/SEATCHECK (866/732-8243) or visit www.seatcheck.org. 

Proper Use of Child Safety Seats
Many people think they have installed their child safety seat correctly and believe they are using it properly. However, National SAFE KIDS Campaign Car Seat Check Ups prove differently. As many as 73 percent of child safety seats are found to be improperly installed and/or used when vehicles are stopped and checked. A child can suffer injuries or death in a motor vehicle crash if the child safety seat is not properly installed or used.

Common Mistakes in Installing or Using Child Safety Seats

• safety belt not holding the seat in tightly and/or not in locked mode
• harness straps not snug and/or routed correctly
• harness retainer clip not at armpit level
• locking clip not used correctly
• car seat recalled and not repaired (includes booster seats)
• infants placed rear-facing in front of an active air bag
• children turned forward-facing before reaching 1 year of age and 20 pounds

Stay Informed
American Academy of Pediatrics
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Safe Kids USA
Safety Belt Safe USA

For more health and safety advice, consult your local children’s hospital. For a national listing go to www.childrenshospitals.net/hospitalprofiles

Safety information found on the Get on Board with Child Safety! website is provided by the Get on Board with Child Safety! partner hospitals.

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