Best practices during child passenger safety week

Child Passenger safety week is September 23rd-29th this year and serves as an important reminder that hot cars and improper use of car seats are responsible for the deaths of more than a thousand children each year and that more can be done to prevent them, according to the National Safety Council. This week culminates with the National Seat Check on Saturday, September 29th, when certified safety experts will be on hand at car seat events all over the country to provide advice and free car seat installations for parents and other caregivers.

Inside cars, children are most susceptible to the extreme heat that can build up over time and cause pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH) which claimed the lives of 42 children in 2017 alone. The majority of deaths occurred among children that were three years of age or younger because they often cannot alert their parents when they have been left alone. Despite the headlines, only about half of all children that die in hot cars are the result of forgetfulness. Many are from incidents where the child enters an unattended vehicle by themselves. To help prevent these tragedies, never leave a child alone in a car for any reason, keep doors locked when not in use, and consider purchasing an electronic device to remind you to check the back seat for children.

With car crashes being one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of 15, there were 1,346 in 2015 alone, car seat safety is imperative to help prevent death or serious injury when these accidents occur. Parents should thoroughly research any seat they are considering for purchase to ensure that it complies with or exceeds their state’s safety laws. Take advantage of certified experts to install the car seat and remember that there are specific age and weight requirements before a child should be allowed to face the front in a car seat or sit in the front seat when they are older. While air bags save the lives of adults and older children, they can be deadly for young ones. Enforce seat belt safety with older children by refusing to move the car until they have buckled up securely.