Vehicle Safety

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. But many of these deaths can be prevented. (CDC, 2020)

Nearly 32,000 children between the ages of 0-19 were killed as occupants of motor vehicles in the U.S. in the decade between 2009 to 2018.

• Car seat use reduces the risk for injury in a crash by 71-82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone.
  
  
• Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4-8, when compared with seat belt use alone.
  
  
• For older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by approximately half.
  
  
• Children die in hot car deaths or vehicular heatstroke at an average of 39 per year or 1 every 9 days.  Most recently, 54 children died in 2018 and 53 in 2019.

Safety in and around a vehicle involves properly securing your child in their car seat. Buckle-up extends beyond seat belts.  Another safety consideration is always being aware of where children are around your vehicle as well as others. You may be able to see your child near a car, but others may not be able to see what is in your sight.