Child Car Safety Seats and Boosters – How to Secure Your Child in a Crash
Siguranta auto is the number one cause of death for children under 13. Properly securing children in child safety seats and booster seats that meet national safety standards can help reduce deaths and injuries.
During the last decade, there has been an unprecedented decrease in motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries among children, but far too many still die. The rate is about a quarter of what it was in 1975. Proper restraint use is the key. Children who ride properly in cars and trucks are more than four times as likely to survive a crash than unrestrained children.
Car Seat Safety on Road Trips: Tips for Long-Haul Travel
All infants and toddlers under 13 years old should ride rear-facing in a car seat or booster seat that meets federal safety standards and is installed correctly. During a frontal collision, the airbag can inflate and hit a child in a rear-facing seat, causing serious injury or death.
If your child needs to ride in the front seat of a vehicle that has a passenger airbag, the airbag must be OFF and the seat or booster moved as far back as possible from the dashboard (and the airbag) to minimize the risk of injury. Children who ride in the front seat are also more likely to be injured by other parts of the vehicle, including the roof, during a crash.
Ensure the harness straps fit snugly and do not pinch a fold in the fabric, that the chest clip is at armpit level, and that the top of the head restraint is at or below the top of your child’s ears. Always read the vehicle owner’s manual and the car safety seat instructions to make sure you have everything set up right.