National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says proper car seat use reduces injuries, death
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – September 18th through the 24th is National Child Passenger Safety Week, designated to promote safety for children in cars.
Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old and in many cases, the appropriate seat could have made all the difference, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says one child under 13 is involved in a crash every 33 seconds.
Just in the year 2019, 608 children died in car crashes. Thirty-eight percent of those who died that year were riding in those cars without proper restraints, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says getting safety information and car seat instructions to parents and caregivers is crucial to saving young lives.
The CDC says car seat use can reduce the risk of injury in a crash by up to 82% for children when compared with seat belt use alone. Booster seat use can reduce the risk of serious injury by 45% for children aged 4-8 when compared with seat belt use alone. And for older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk of death and serious injury by about half.
If you have questions about your car seat, the Alabama Department of Public Health has a list of Car Seat Inspection Stations across the state at this website.
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