This year September 19th - 25th is Child Passenger Safety Week, and Saturday the 25th is National Seat Check Saturday!
Child Passenger Safety Week is the perfect time to make sure your child is in the right seat
and that it’s installed correctly. Visit NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat for tips to keep your child as safe as possible in the
car.
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children. On average, two children under 13 were killed and an estimated 374 were injured every day in 2019 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. According to NHSTA, 608 child passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes in 2019. 38% of the children who died in 2019 while riding in passenger vehicles were unrestrained, compared to 33% in 2018.
•From 2015 to 2019, there were 1,709 “tweens” (8 to 14 years old) killed in passenger vehicles. In 2019 alone, the 8- to 12-year-old age group had the highest number of fatalities (229) among children in passenger vehicles, followed by the 4-to-7 age group (202).
•In 2019, an estimated 137,000 children riding in passenger vehicles were injured in traffic crashes.
•Of the children under 13 involved in crashes in 2019, an estimated 13% were injured. The number of children injured in a crash remained steady, with an estimated 14% injured in 2017 and 2018.
•Minority children are at greater risk of being unrestrained when killed in traffic crashes: According to 2018 data from NHTSA, 62% of American Indian children killed in car crashes were unrestrained, followed by Black children (49%) and Hispanic children (40%). By comparison, white children killed were unrestrained 20% of the time.
•In 2019, 47% of unrestrained children killed in vehicle crashes were riding in vans, followed closely by SUVs (42%), and light trucks (42%). Children are safest when secured in the proper car seats or booster seats for their ages and sizes.
Car seats work best when used correctly
•In passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58% and 59%, respectively.
•Most parents are confident that they have correctly installed their child’s car seat, but in most cases (46%), the seat has not been installed correctly.
•In 2017 (latest data available), among children under 5, car seats saved an estimated 312 lives. A total of 371 children could have survived if they had been buckled up 100% of the time.
Booster seats matter, too
•Booster seats are an essential step between car seats and seat belts. These transitional seats position the seat belt so that it fits properly over the stronger parts of your child’s body.
•According to NHTSA data, in 2017, about 20.8% of children 4 to 7 were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have been riding in booster seats.
•Don’t feel pressured to put your child in a seat belt too soon. If a booster seat is still appropriate for their age and size, then that is the safest place for your child to be.
•If your child is ready to use a seat belt, ensure the seat belt fits correctly: The seat belt should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest. Remember that seat belts should never rest on the stomach area or across the face.
Remember
•Remember to read and carefully follow the installation instructions included with a car seat or booster seat, as well as the vehicle owner's manual. Failure to do this can lead to incorrect installation, exposing a child passenger to the risk of injury or death in a crash.
•All children under 13 should always ride buckled up in the back seat.
•Tethers should always be used for forward-facing car seats.
Athens families can get their car seats checked at ReBlossom!
