Keeping Kids Safe in the Car
Protecting your children in case of a car accident is a parents number one priority.
The best way to accomplish this is by properly using child safety seats or seat
belts. As a driver, child passengers are your responsibility — make sure you understand
how to keep children safe while driving.
Proper Use of Seat Belts for Children
- Children 12 and under should be buckled up in the rear seats.
- Children should ride in an appropriate child safety seat until 8 years of age, unless
they are 4 feet 9 inches tall and weigh 80 pounds.
- Never hold a child in your lap. An unrestrained 10-pound infant would instantly
be ripped from an adult's arms in a 30-mph collision.
- The lap belt should cross the child's upper thighs and the diagonal belt should
cross the upper chest and a point between the neck and the center of the shoulder.
- Children should continue to use a belt-positioning booster until the lap and shoulder
belts fit properly and the child's legs are long enough to bend at the edge of the
seat.
Proper Use of Child, Infant and Toddler Safety Seats
- Infants — From birth to 1 year and less than 20 pounds, infants should be placed
in rear-facing child safety seats in the back seat of the car. The harness straps
should be at or below shoulder level.
- Toddlers — From 1 year and at least 20 to 40 pounds, toddlers should be placed in
forward-facing child safety seats in the back seat of the car. The harness straps
should be at or above the shoulders. Children who are less than 1 year but weigh
more than 20 pounds should ride in restraint seats approved for higher rear-facing
weights.
- Young Children — Children more than 40 pounds but less than 4 feet 9 inches tall
should be placed in forward-facing booster seats in the back seat of the car. Lap
belts should fit low and tight across the thighs, and shoulder belts should fit
snugly across the chest and shoulder to prevent abdominal injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides annual
safety and ease-of-use ratings for child safety seats, as well as information on
child seat recalls and free
car seat inspection locations.