Car Seat Safety

Anna Mendenhall, MD, FAAP

Car Safety Statistics:

There is a fatal car accident every 14 minutes here in the US, or about 40,000 per year. About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States. This means that on any given day nearly 700 children are harmed due to accidents on our roadways. Of the 250,000 kids injured each year, approximately 2,000 die from their injuries. Children make up about 5% of total fatalities due to car accidents. In fact, for children between the ages of 2 and 14, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death.

Car accidents are also the leading cause of acquired disability (e.g., brain injury, paralysis, etc.) for children nationwide. And approximately 20% of the children who die in a car accident each year are killed in accidents involving a driver who is legally intoxicated. Nearly half of these children were killed while riding as passengers in an automobile driven by an intoxicated driver.

The failure to wear a seat belt or use a child safety seat is a contributing factor in more than half of the cases involving children who die in car accidents. Not only is an unrestrained child a potential distraction to the driver of the vehicle, but also the failure to wear a seat belt dramatically increases the chance that a child will suffer much more serious injury and death.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at least 72% of the 3,500 observed child vehicle safety restraints were being used incorrectly. When that happens, the risk that the child will suffer an injury or more severe injury rises even more. NHTSA estimates that a properly installed and used child safety seat lowers a child's risk of death by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4.

Types of Car Safety Seats at a Glance (www.aap.org):

Older Children – Seat Belts:

• Seat belts are made for adults. Your child should stay in a booster seat until adult seat belts fit correctly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age). This means:
• The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
• The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly.
• Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent without slouching and can stay in this position comfortably throughout the trip.
• Make sure your child does not tuck the shoulder belt under her arm or behind her back. This leaves the upper body unprotected, putting your child at risk of severe injury in a crash or with sudden braking.
• Never allow anyone to “share” seat belts. All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts.

What is the LAW regarding Car Seats?

• Your child must ride in a rear facing five point restraint car seat in the back seat until one year and 20 pounds.
• Your child must ride in a five point restraint car seat or booster in the back seat until 6 years and 60 lbs.
• Your child should ride in the back seat until 13 years of age.

If you need Installation Help:

If you have questions or need help installing your car safety seat, find a certified CPS Technician. Lists of certified CPS Technicians and Child Seat Fitting Stations are available on the NHTSA Web site at www.nhtsa.gov or at www.seatcheck.org. You can also get this information by calling 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Important Reminders:

1. Be a good role model. Make sure you always wear your seat belt. This will help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
2. Never leave your child alone in or around cars. Any of the following can happen when a child is left alone in or around a vehicle:
   - Temperatures can reach deadly levels in minutes, and the child can die of heat stroke
   - He can be strangled by power windows, sunroofs, or accessories.
   - He can knock the vehicle into gear, setting it in motion.
   - He can be backed over when the vehicle backs up.
   - He can become trapped in the trunk of the vehicle.

Links to other helpful information on Car Seat Safety:

• Centers for Disease Control Website: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm
• American Academy of Pediatrics Website: www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm
• Car-Safety.org Car Seat Buying Guide: www.car-safety.org/guide.html