Among children who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, a higher proportion of those riding with impaired drivers were unrestrained (58%) compared with those riding with sober drivers (37%).
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In 2019, 23% of child passenger deaths among children age 14 years and younger in the United States involved alcohol-impaired driving (blood alcohol concentration ≥0.08 g/dL) 64% of the time, it was the child’s own driver who had been drinking.
Restraint use (like car seat, booster seat, or seat belt use) varies by age.Others require booster seats or other child restraint devices for children who have outgrown their car seats. Most states permit children over a certain age or size to use an adult seat belt without a car seat or booster seat. Alternatively, people can visit the Governors Highway Safety Association page on child passenger safety. People can learn more about their state’s child passenger safety law by visiting their state’s government website. The lap belt must lie across the child’s upper thighs, and the shoulder belt should fit snuggly against their shoulder and chest.Īccording to the National Safety Council, children should ride in a booster seat until they reach all of the following:Ĭhild passenger safety laws vary by state. This is to ensure that the car’s seat belt fits correctly. When a child outgrows their forward-facing car seat, they should use a booster seat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children use a forward-facing car seat until they reach at least 5 years of age, however. Generally, children must be at least 4 feet 9 inches tall before they stop using a car seat. Weight limits for most seats range from 20–65 pounds (lb). Height and weight recommendations for car seat use vary by state. If this is the case, they should instead sit in a forward-facing car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Those aged 3–7 years may exceed the weight and height limits of their rear-facing car seat. Airbags present a significant risk to children in rear-facing car seats because their heads are much closer to the airbag.
Parents and caregivers should also keep rear-facing car seats in the back seat of the car to prevent airbag injuries. They now suggest that children ride in a rear-facing car seat until they exceed the seat’s weight and height limits. However, the AAP have since changed this recommendation in response to recent research findings. In previous years, the AAP recommended that children ride in rear-facing car seats until they reached 2 years of age. The following sections contain car seat recommendations for children of different age groups. Parents and caregivers can keep children safe by buckling them into a seat that is appropriate for their age, height, and weight.Ĭompared with seat belt use alone, car seat use lowers the risk of injury in vehicle crashes by up to 82% in children. Share on Pinterest A child’s age, height, and weight determine the most appropriate way for them to sit in a vehicle.