National Car Seat Check Saturday Sept. 21st

National Seat Check Saturday

Keeping Kids Safe in Car Seats

During Child Passenger Safety Week (September 15-21, 2013) many communities will have certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians available to provide free, hands-on, car seat education and inspections. The week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 21, when certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be available at car seat events across the country to offer advice and instruction. To locate a car seat inspection station near you, click here.

Key Statistics and Consumer Insights:

Car seats, booster seats and seat belts save lives and offer the best protection for children in crashes.

  • Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.
  • During the 5-year period from 2007 to 2011, 3,661 children were killed in car crashes. In addition, an estimated 634,000 children were injured, more than the population of Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Based on U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash data in 2011, on average, nearly 2 children under 13 were killed and 338 were injured every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups and vans.
  • In 2011, over one third of children killed in car crashes were not in car seats or wearing seat belts.

Car seats work best when used correctly.

  • According to NHTSA, approximately 9,874 children 4 and younger have been saved from 1975 to 2011 by child restraints.  Data also shows 8,616 of these children were saved by car seats alone.
  • In 2011, among children 4 and younger in cars, an estimated 314 lives were saved by car restraints.
  • Car seats reduce the likelihood of an infant being killed by 71 percent and a toddler by 54 percent in a car, and 58 percent and 59 percent for infants and toddlers in SUVs, pickups and vans.
  • All 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws requiring children to be restrained while riding in cars. Some States now require kids to ride in appropriate car seats or booster seats until age 9.
  • Failure to read and carefully follow the installation instructions included with the car seat as well as those in the vehicle owner’s manual can lead to incorrect installation, exposing a child passenger to grave risk of serious injury or death in a crash.

For more information on keeping your child safe in car seats, visit http://www.safercar.gov/parents/

 

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