WVU Medicine Children’s to hold car seat safety checks on Monday

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children and one of the reasons why one-in-four children sustain an unintentional injury that requires medical care each year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury in passenger cars by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

The NHTSA also reminds parents and caregivers that car seats and booster seats for children are just as essential as infant car seats for babies. Booster seats position the adult seat belt so that it fits correctly to protect a child in a crash.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following car seat guidelines based on age and size:

• Keep all children in a rear-facing position as long as possible, up to the limits of the seat or until the child reaches a minimum age of two years of age.

• All children should ride in a forward-facing seat, up to the limits of the seat or until at least five years of age.

• Older children must ride in a booster seat until the child is four feet, nine inches tall.

• Lap and shoulder belts are required for all children, booster seat age and older.

• A child must be 13 years of age to ride in the front seat.

Child passenger safety technicians found that while most parents and caregivers believe they know how to properly install car seats, nearly half have installed the seat incorrectly, which is why they recommend getting the seat checked.

For more information on car seat safety and other information the WVU Medicine Children’s Injury Prevention and Safety Program provides visit childrens.wvumedicine.org/patients-visitors/programs/injury-prevention-safety-program.