Child Passenger Safety Week: The Facts

Child Passenger Safety Week: The Facts

Child Passenger Safety Week is September 13-15, 2015. On Saturday September 19, National Seat Check Saturday, technicians will be available to help check seats and instruct parents and caregivers.

This year, safety agencies will team up together to inform parents and caregivers about correctly using child car seat restraints. Most parents are usually confident that their child’s car seat is properly installed in their vehicle, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 59% of seats have not been installed correctly.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children, making it crucial for parents and caregivers to participate in Child Passenger Safety Week. Many safety groups across the nation will have Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians available to educate consumers on how to properly install car seats as well as which car seats are best suited for each child. On Saturday September 19, National Seat Check Saturday, technicians will be available to help check seats and instruct parents and caregivers.

It is very important for all parents and caregivers to register their car seats with the manufacturer so that they can be notified of recalls and product defects. For the past thirty years, it has been required in all 50 states that children be restrained in proper child safety seats. In passenger vehicles, car seats reduce risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. In 2013, an estimated 263 lives were saved by child restraints in vehicles.

It can be easy to make installation mistakes or miss a step, so always pay close attention to the car seat’s installation instructions as well as your vehicle’s manual and LATCH instructions. All children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat, no matter how tall they are.

For more information regarding Child Car Safety Week and what is going on in your local area, you can visit NHTSA’s site.

Source: NHTSA