Sad Facts Reinforce Child Car Safety

Parents are nervous when their kids are in the car -- and for good reason. Car accidents remain the number one culprit in child injury and death.

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 565 children 4 or younger died in auto accidents on U.S. highways in 1998, the last year for which complete statistics are available.
• More tragically, in 228 or nearly 50 percent of those deaths, the child killed was not belted into a car seat or otherwise protected by safety measures.
• In roughly 7 percent of the crashes, the child was in a car seat but either not belted in properly or was in a car seat that was installed improperly.

Preventive Steps

Doctors concerned about the potential for child injury or death in car crashes have come up with a set of guidelines on car safety for children. These include:

• Buckle up car seats and seat belts.
• Keep children entertained with car games, activity books and story tapes.
• Make periodic stops along the way.
• Keep supplies with you, such as snacks, water, a first-aid kit and any medicines your child takes.
• Always use a car seat, starting with your baby's first ride home from the hospital. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
• Read the manufacturer's instructions and always keep them with the car seat.
• Read your vehicle owner's manual for more information on how to install the car seat.
• Put your child in the back seat. It is the safest place in the car because it is farthest away from a head-on crash, the most common type of crash.
• The harness system holds your child in the car seat and the seat belts hold the seat in the car. Attach both snugly to protect your child.
• Children in rear-facing car seats should never be placed in a front seat equipped with an air bag.
• Children traveling alone, such as to visit relatives or attend summer camp, should have a copy of their medical information with them at all times.

More Information:

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers lots more info on securing a child in an auto at this Web page.

Or go to 4Safety.com for more on all aspects of child auto safety.