PSA: Car Seat Safety

I've posted about this issue before, but it's an important safety concern and worth repeating. Many parents and caregivers aren't using the right car seat for their children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 1 through 12 years old. Based on NHTSA crash data in 2010, on average, almost 2 children (age 12 and younger in a passenger vehicle) were killed and 325 children were injured each day. This fatality rate could be reduced by half if the correct child safety seats were always used.

To educate parents and caregivers about NHTSA’s car seat recommendations for children from birth through age 12, NHTSA is launching a new Web site, safercar.gov/therightseat, along with new public service announcements in partnership with the Ad Council. At the site parents and caregivers can find out if they have their children in the right car seats. The site also features important information on car seat use and installation such as: How-to videos, recall notifications, and NHTSA’s car seat ease-of-use ratings.

If you have questions, you can get local help with car seat use and selection from Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, visit facebook.com/childpassengersafety, and follow @childseatsafety. You can also check out this car seat safety infographic.