The greatest danger and cause of death among children today is motor vehicle accidents.

¨   An average of 4 deaths and 602 injuries to children daily.

¨       In 2003 1,591 children ages 14 years and younger died in motor vehicle crashes.

¨       220,000 children were injured in 2003.

¨       More than half the children ages 0 to 14 years killed in motor vehicle crashes during 2003 were unrestrained.

¨       35% of children ages 4 years and younger fatally injured in 2003 were unrestrained. 

¨       One out of four deaths among children ages involved a drinking driver.

¨       40% of children riding with unbelted drivers were themselves unrestrained.

¨       A survey of 17,500 children found that only 15% of children in safety seats were correctly harnessed into correctly installed seats.

What We Can Do To Protect Our Children

The BEST way to protect your child is to use car safety seats.... and, use the car safety seats correctly.

An excellent source of information on child passenger safety is the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Car Seat Guide.

AAP address many important questions such as:

1) Which car safety seat and what features are best for your child?

• Rear-facing seats

• Infant-only seats

• Convertible seats

• Forward-facing seats

• Booster seats

2) How to install your car safety seat?

3) Is the child buckled into the car safety seat correctly?

4) Is the car safety seat buckled into the vehicle correctly?

5) What if my baby is premature?

6) What if my baby weighs more than 20 pounds?

7) What if my child has special health care needs?

8) What if my car has side air bags?

9) What if my car only has lap belts in the back seat?

10) What if I drive more children than can be buckled safely?

11) Can I use a car safety seat on an airplane?

12) Can I use a car safety seat that was in a crash?

13) What about a used car safety seat?

Sources: NHTSA, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)