Child Passenger Safety

Mother driving car with daughter in booster seat

National Child Passenger Safety Week 2019 is September 15-21. Make sure you properly buckle children on every trip.

Reduce Their Risk

In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. In 2017, 675 children 12 years old and younger died in motor vehicle crashes, and nearly 116,000 were injured. Of the children 12 years old and younger who died in a crash in 2017 (for which restraint use was known), 35% were not buckled up. Parents and caregivers can make a lifesaving difference.

Whenever you’re on the road, make sure children—aged 12 and under—are buckled in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts, and always in the back seat.

Data shows that:

In 2017, restraint use saved the lives of 325 children ages 4 years and younger.
Car seat use reduces the risk for injury in crashes by 71–82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone.
Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4-8, when compared with seat belt use alone.

As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, National Seat Check Saturday will take place on September 21st, where drivers with child passengers are encouraged to visit a child safety seat inspection station to have a certified technician inspect their car seat and to give hands-on advice and assistance free of charge. Locate a car seat inspection station in your area.