Car Seats, Your Child, And Traffic Safety
The most effective way to ensure a child’s safety in a vehicle is an appropriate safety restraint system. Whether it’s a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt, a proper restraint system that is appropriate for a child’s age, height, and/or weight is essential to their safety in the case of a car accident. You can find great resources online to help you choose correctly. At The Safety Restraint Coalition, you'll find all the information you need to travel by car with your kids, without any worries.
Why Are Proper Safety Restraints Important?
It cannot be understated how beneficial seat belts and car seats can be to a child’s safety. Even minor car accidents can cause major harm to an unrestrained child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
· Car seat use can reduce the risk of injury in children by as much as 82% compared to seat belt use alone.
· Booster seat use can reduce the risk of serious injury by as much as 45% compared to seat belt use alone.
· Seat belt use reduces the risk of death in older children by approximately half.
This is especially true if you live in more populous cities where the amount of traffic is high. More vehicles equals more accidents – and thus a higher chance of fatalities. According to a study by the Wendt Law Firm, the counties with the highest amount of traffic fatalities in 2018 were Los Angeles County, Maricopa County, Harris County – three of the top five most populous counties in the country.
The following tips can help keep your children safe during some of life’s most unfortunate accidents.
Follow the Appropriate Laws
Each state has a specific set of statutes in place that detail car seat requirements for children. Typically, children are legally required to use either a baby seat, car seat, or booster seat based on one or more standards:
· Age
· Height
· Weight
In Missouri, for example, state law dictates that a child must be secured in the appropriate car seat or booster seat if they are:
· Less than 4 years old
· Less than 40 pounds
· Less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall
Children who are at least 80 pounds or more than 4 feet, 9 inches tall must be secured by a proper seat belt or booster seat.
Be sure to double-check your state’s requirements before figuring out the safety needs of your child in a vehicle. It’s important to note that some states’ laws are more loose with requirements than others; if you feel like your states’ child car seat laws are not strict enough, we think it’s better to be safe than sorry, and exercise greater safety than is required by law.
Use Car Seats Properly
Utilizing the safety of a car seat can be crucial to your child’s safety. Keep these things in mind to ensure proper use of your child’s car seat:
· Install your car seat properly. All car seats belong in the rear seats, secured properly with either the seat belt or LATCH system, and at the proper angle detailed on the car seat.
· Apply the restraints as directed. In a car seat, all restraints must be correctly applied to the child in order for the seat to be effective. This is especially important in three-point restraints that require multiple claps and buckles. This is also true in booster seats, which often utilize the car’s seat belt plus a strap in the back of the child to secure the belt to their shoulder.
· Keep updated on all safety seat recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) constantly evaluates car seats for their safety and issues recalls if they find any fatal flaws. A complete list of active recalls is kept on their website and is updated regularly.
Make a Routine of It
Most importantly, keep up the usage of a car seat or seat belt with your child. Ensure that they are properly restrained every time they are in a car with you. Make a routine of it – do not leave until your child is in their car seat, or they have put their seat belt on. Even though seat belt usage is at an all-time high across the nation, reinforcing these habits can go a long way into maximizing your child’s safety in any vehicle.