Of course, we should be concerned every day, but September shines a light on child passenger safety celebrating Child Passenger Safety Week from the 15 – 21, and the National Seat Check Saturday on September 21.

I want to share some alarming facts provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which can make all of us more aware of our priorities when driving with a child in the car. For the purpose of this fact information, children are defined by NHTSA as 14 years old and younger.

• Every day, in 2022, on average, three children under 13 were killed and 429 were injured in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans.
• A total of 756 children were killed in passenger vehicles in 2022, and over 120,000 were injured.
• In 2022, based on known restraint use, 68 percent of the children who died while riding with unrestrained passenger vehicle drivers were also unrestrained.
• Over the five-year period from 2018-2022, there were 1,837 “tweens” (8 to 14 years old) killed in passenger vehicles. 
• In 2022 alone, the 8- to 12-year-old age group had the highest number of fatalities (326) among children in traffic crashes. This age group is often found to be using the wrong type of restraint for their age and size. Moving a child passenger into a booster seat or adult seat belt before they are the right age and size can increase the risk of injury and death. 
• Children from some minority groups are at greater risk of being unrestrained when killed in traffic crashes. According to 2021 data from NHTSA, 45% of Black children killed in car crashes were unrestrained, followed by Hispanic children (42%). By comparison, white children killed were unrestrained 30% of the time.
• In 2022, almost half (49%) of the children killed while riding in light pickup trucks were unrestrained, followed by SUVs (38%), passenger cars (34%), and vans (12%). Children are safest when secured in the proper car seats or booster seats for their ages and sizes, regardless of the vehicle type.
• Parents and caregivers can model safety for their kids. Research shows there is a strong correlation between caregivers who buckle up and their child passengers’ seat belt use. In 2022, of the child passengers killed in crashes while riding with an unbuckled driver, 68% of those children were also unbuckled.

Car seats save lives

• In passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions are 58% and 59%, respectively. 
• NHTSA estimates that since 1975, child restraints have saved the lives of 11,606 children under the age of 5. 
• A NHTSA study found that while most parents and caregivers believe they know how to properly install their car seats, about half (48%) have installed their child’s car seat incorrectly. 

Children tend to observe and emulate the behavior of adults around them, making it crucial for adults to set a positive example. It's important to prioritize safety by always wearing a seatbelt while driving, and ensuring that children are properly secured as well. And never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

For further details, please visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/.