Child Safety Seat Tips For Ages 0-15
Infant: A rear-facing seat in the back of your car supports your infant's upper body, protecting the head, neck and spine and spreads crash forces across the back. Properly installed child safety seats reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for infants involved in crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toddler: It’s time to switch to a forward-facing safety seat. To save money, buy one that’s convertible right off the bat. 4- to 8-year old: Research from a Partners for Child Passenger Safety study shows that booster seat use reduces risk of injury in a crash by 59%. Booster seats elevate children’s small bodies to ensure proper seat belt fit, better protecting them in case of a crash. Children 8 & Up: When a child is 4’9” or taller, he or she is ready to use only a properly secured seatbelt. They need to stay in the back seat until age 13, or risk injury by an airbag.
Did you know? · As children age, their risk of injury in a crash rises. 13- to 15- year-olds are at the highest risk for injury in a crash. Head injuries are the most common type for all age groups. · Children have a much higher risk of injury when the driver is younger than age 20. Although only 4.2% of crashes involve a driver aged 16 to 19, child passengers in these crashes are nearly four times as likely to be injured as if they were riding with an older driver. · Vehicle crashes with the highest number of significant injuries occur on roads with posted speed limits of 45-64 mph. To continue reading child safety tips from RTM's Teens & Tots Section, click here.
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