Car Safety

Car crashes remain the number one killer of children ages 3-14 in the United States.

However, you can greatly reduce the risk to your children by ensuring that they ride buckled up in the back seat until age 13, and that they are riding in the proper type of car seat or booster seat until an adult lap and shoulder belt fits them correctly. 

What You Can Do

Prevention begins with you! There are a few easy steps that you can take to make sure kids are safe in the car:

• Properly buckle up all children younger than 13 in a back seat on every ride.

• Carefully read the instructions that come with your car seat.

• Have infants ride in rear-facing car seats as long as possible and until they are at least 12 months old and weigh at least 20 pounds.

• If your child is at least 1 year old and weighs between 20 and 40 pounds, secure him or her in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

• If your child weighs over 40 pounds, secure him or her in a booster seat using a lap-and-shoulder belt.

• If your child passes the Safety Belt Fit Test, he or she can use an adult lap-and-shoulder belt.

• Walk all the way around a parked vehicle to check for children before getting into the car.

• Make sure everyone in your vehicle buckles up for every ride!

• Download Car Safety Tips

More About Car Safety  

• Download the Car Safety Factsheet

• Visit the Safe Kids Child Passengers Safety Web site

• Visit the Safe Kids Safety In and Around Cars Web site

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