It's so important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car. Many times, deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts. On average, two children under 13 were killed per day in 2016 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans. |

Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 23-29, 2018

During Child Passenger Safety Week, being held September 23-29, 2018, many communities will have Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on hand to provide free education on how to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) primary goal for child passenger safety is to make sure all parents and caregivers are correctly using the right car seats (rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, booster seats) or seat belts for their children's ages and sizes. Technicians will help educate consumers about choosing the right car seat for a child, installing that seat correctly in their vehicle, and using that seat correctly every time. They can also discuss the importance of registering that car seat with its manufacturer, and what to expect if the seat is subject to a safety recall. Related: Child Passenger Safety Week: Here's what you need to know The week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 29, when Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians across the country will be available at car seat check events to offer advice and instruction to parents and caregivers. |

Lives lost and injuries

• Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13.
• Every 33 seconds in 2016, one child under the age of 13 was involved in a crash.
• From 2012 to 2016, there were 3,268 children under 13 killed while riding in passenger vehicles. These numbers have been increasing steadily since 2014.
• From 2012 to 2016, there were 1,132 "tweens" (8 to 12 years old) killed in passenger vehicles.
• In 2016, the 8-to-12 age group had the highest number of fatalities (262, or 36%) among children in passenger vehicles, which is an 11% increase from 2015. Of those who were killed, almost 50% were unbuckled.
• In 2016, over one-third (35%) of children under 13 killed in passenger vehicles were not restrained in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.
• Statistically, more crashes occur during "school hours" (during the day, Monday through Friday).

In 2016, among children under 5, car seats saved an estimated 328 lives. A total of 370 children could have survived if they had been buckled up 100% of the time. Related: 10 best family cars of 2018 |

Car seats work best when used correctly

• In passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58% and 59%, respectively.
• Most parents are confident that they have correctly installed their child's car seat, but in most cases (59%) the seat has not been installed correctly.
• According to NHTSA data, in 2015, about 25.8% of children 4 to 7 were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have been riding in booster seats.

Child passenger safety laws

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• For the past 30 years, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories have had laws requiring children to be secured in the appropriate car seats or booster seats for their ages and sizes while riding in cars.
• States now require children to ride in appropriate car seats or booster seats until as old as age 9.

Important safety tips to remember

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• Read and carefully follow the installation instructions included with a car seat, as well as the vehicle owner's manual. Failure to do this can lead to incorrect installation, exposing a child passenger to the risk of injury or death in a crash.
• All children under 13 should always ride in the back seat.
• Tethers should always be used for forward-facing car seats.

Additional resources

Find and compare car seats Car seat inspection location finder Car seat installation instructions