child passenger safety week :: keeping kids safe in the car

This week is The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Child Passenger Safety Week. While that is a mouthful to say, I know that the information that is trying to be spread by this week of awareness is extremely important.

I know that great strides have been made in the years since my first child was born (almost 9 years ago!) but with motor vehicle crashes as a leading cause of death for children age 1 to 13 in the USA there is also room for improvement. In 2014, for children under 5, an estimated 252 lives could have been saved by child restraint use and there are some simple steps that each of us parents and caregivers can take that could reduce the fatality rate dramatically.

First of all, is your child in the correct seat? And secondly, is that seat installed properly?

If you want to be able to confidently answer “Yes!” to both of those questions, visit SaferCar.gov/TheRightSeat and based on your child’s age and size you can find out if they are in the correct seat. From there you can locate a car seat station check in your area to make sure that the correct seat is installed properly.

Speaking of car seat checks, this Saturday, September 24, 2016 is National Seat Check Saturday! This week there will be more than 600 events in 45 states across the country, where certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and show parents and caregivers how to correctly install and use them and in most cases, this service is free of charge. To locate a car seat check event near you check HERE. Another easy way to help keep your kids safe in their car seat is the register your seat with the manufacturer so that in the event of a recall you can be informed.

When there is a child under age 13 involved in a car crash every 33 seconds it is our responsibility as parents and caregivers to make sure that the correct seat is used and installed properly so that we have done all in our power to help dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury to our most precious of cargo.

*While I was provided with images and information to share for the above post, I was in NO way compensated.*