Here's yet another reason to fasten your seat belt - new statistics show that parents who don't buckle up are much less likely to make sure that children are buckled. According to studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and released by the Air Bag Safety Campaign, when drivers use seat belts, restraint use for toddlers is 86%. But when the driver foregoes the seat belt, restraint use for toddlers drops to an alarming 23%. "The evidence is clear - to get children buckled up, we must get drivers buckled up," said Janet Dewey, Executive Director of the Air Bag Safety Campaign.
Even when parents do manage to buckle up both themselves and their children, the NHTSA estimates that at least 80% of all child safety seats have been improperly installed! Sobering statistic, but don't panic - just look over your own car seat set-up. Most importantly, never place a child seat in the front seat. Many new moms feel that they must keep a vigilant eye on their baby, and so keep the infant in the front seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that this practice - regardless of whether an air bag is present - puts babies at increased risk of injury or death. The car seat should be securely placed in the center of the back seat, and, if necessary, a locking clip should be used to ensure that the seat does not rock back and forth.
So, you already know all of this, right? Well, the NHTSA reports that about 40% of children don't even wear safety belts. Obviously, some of us are slacking off! Please, do not let your child end up as a statistic - always buckle up, and always buckle up your child.
Sources: National Safety Council; Safety on the Road, a free publication produced by the Children's Television Workshop with funding from Ford
Additional Resources:
The National Safety Council - a nongovernmental, not-for-profit public service organization.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -
400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590
800-424-9393 - this Auto Safety Hot Line answers questions about child-safety seats, recalls, and school bus safety.
Sesame Street's Safety on the Road for fun safety games and information.
