Child Passenger Safety Week offers Learning Opportunities for Parents

Parents who comply with the legal requirements in their states might not be doing enough to protect their children from injury in a motor vehicle accident.

As national Child Passenger Safety Week (from September 19-25) approaches, a great deal of information and help will be available to parents who want to take special interest in the safety of children who ride in motor vehicles. Here are the top three reasons to use national Child Passenger Safety Week to learn more about preventing child injuries and fatalities that occur during automobile accidents:

• Child Passenger Safety Issue #1: More children are car accident victims from the ages of 3 to 14, and die as the result of automobile accidents than from any other cause.


• Child Passenger Safety Issue #2: Children under age five who are graduated to safety belts too soon are four times more likely to sustain a serious auto accident head injury than children who are in child safety seats or booster seats.


• Child Passenger Safety Issue #3: Parents who comply with the legal requirements in their states might not be doing enough to protect their children from injury in a motor vehicle accident!

It's alarming to know that your state's child restraint safety laws may not meet the minimum child passenger safety requirements urged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA recently said that child auto passenger safety laws in 21 states do not meet national child passenger safety recommendations and asked all states to pass laws requiring car child restraints for children up to 8 years old. According to estimates by the NHTSA, nearly 75% of parents use car child passenger safety restraints improperly, whether the mistake is selecting the wrong type of protection or installing it improperly.

It is crucial that your child's car seats, booster seats, or seat belts are selected, installed, and used correctly. To decide what kind of child passenger safety restraints are right for your child, the NHTSA recommends following the Four Steps for Kids, which are:

1. Use rear-facing infant seats, in the back seat, from birth to at least age one and at least 20 pounds;


2. Use forward-facing toddler seats, in the back seat, from age one to about age four and 40 pounds;


3. Use booster seats, in the back seat, from about age four to at least age eight or at least 4' 9";


4. Use safety belts at age eight or older or taller than 4' 9". Children should continue to ride in the back seat until age 12.

The statistics aren't all bad. In fact, research has clearly shown that properly-used child passenger safety restraints can save your child's life, if you are involved in an automobile collision. In passenger cars, child safety seats have been found to reduce fatal injury by as much as 71 percent for infants under age one and by as much as 54 percent for children ages one to four.

During Child Passenger Safety Week, the NHTSA and states also sponsor a variety of additional activities designed to increase your awareness and understanding of child passenger safety risks. For example, Saturday, September 25, 2010, is National Seat Check Day. Certified inspectors will be available at various locations, to inspect your child safety seat and show you how to correctly install and use it. Other learning activities are planned, as well. Finally, if you want to do your part to educate other parents, the NHTSA offers a variety of posters and pamphlets, available online, for the occasion. Whether you are driving to the grocery or crossing the country, this special event offers an opportunity to brush up on your knowledge of the most current information designed to keep your children safe, in the event of a motor vehicle collision. Visit the NHTSA website, for more information on child safety in motor vehicle accidents.

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Tags:  Brain Injury · Child Car Safety · Child Safety · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration