Buckling kids of all ages into car seats, booster seats, or seat belts helps reduce the risk of serious injuries during a car crash.
- Using car seats reduces the risk for death to infants under one by 71%; and to toddlers, age 1-4, by 54%. {1}
- Using booster seats instead of seat belts reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4–8. {2}
- For older children, those over 57 inches tall, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by roughly half. {3}
Tips for Using your Car Seats Correctly
- Over 70% of car seats are installed wrong. Here’s a quick car seat checklist to help you out. If you are having difficulty or want your car seat installation to be checked by a professional.
- Be careful when buying a used car seat or taking a hand-me-down car seat. Ensure that you know whether the car seat has been involved in a crash. If a car seat has been involved in a crash, or it has expired, it should no longer be used.
- Fill out the registration card that came with your car seat. It’s pre-populated with your car seat’s information. Mail the card. This will allow the manufacturer to provide you notice of recalls or issues with the car seats.
Recommendations on which Type of Seat to Use
From birth to age 2, it is safest for a child to ride in a rear-facing car seats in the back seat of the car. If your child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the rear-facing seat, they should be turned around to a forward-facing car seat.
From age 2 to about age 5, a child should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat. Again, if your child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the seat, you can move your child into a booster seat.
From age 5 until the seat belt fits properly, a child should be buckled into a booster seat. Questions have been raised on whether backless booster seats are safe for children. You may wish to watch a video demonstrating the difference between backless car seats during a crash. Watch here.
Car seats should be designed and manufactured to keep children safe. If your child has been injured as a result of defective car seat during a crash, contact Chelsie King Garza for a free consultation.
{2} Arbogast KB, Jermakian JS, Kallan MJ, Durbin DR. Effectiveness of belt positioning booster seats: an updated assessment. Pediatrics 2009;124;1281–6.
