Is your child’s car seat secure?

NEW YORK (WWTI) – As National Child Passenger Safety Week gears up AAA and the National Safety Council highlight the importance of proper car seat use and offer essential tips to keep young passengers safe on the road.

According to a press release from AAA, they’ve analyzed, in a study, five years of government crash data revealing a concerning trend… Child seat and booster use decreases after a child turns three, despite the need for these safety devices. This is an issue, given that over 100,000 children were injured in car crashes in 2022 alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration .

From 2018 to 2022, over four million children aged 11 and under were involved in car crashes, resulting in 547,000 injuries and nearly 3,000 fatalities. 74% of car seats inspected in 2023 were improperly installed or used, according to the National Digital Car Seat Check Form database.

In 2022, there were 1,129 children killed in traffic crashes in the US, 32 of which were in New York state, according to AAA.

According to data from the NDCF, there are three common misuses:

1. Car seat installation is too loose;
2. Not using the tether when installing a forward-facing car seat with either the lower anchors or seat belt; and
3. The harness is too loose when securing a child in a car seat.

According to AAA’s analysis, the latest government data reflects a need for parents to ensure they use the correct child restraint system for each growth phase.

• Every child needs to be strapped in: Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) children aged 7-11 killed in a car crash were completely unrestrained. For the youngest children, aged 0-3, 1 in 4 (26%) who were killed were unrestrained;
• It’s about height, not age: According to the NDCF, 24.9% of children move to booster seats too soon, and 93.6% transition to a seat belt too soon;
• Find child passenger safety resources : NYS Child Passenger Safety Page ; and
• Check online virtually: If you are in an area without local resources, a child’s car seat can be checked virtually through an online meeting with National Safety Council staff .

When used correctly, car seats, booster seats and seat belts protect young passengers. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation , child restraints reduce fatalities by 71% for infants younger than one year and by 54% for children 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.